Lions to play Jennies in MIAA Tourney

The Joplin Globe, Mo.
·1 min read

May 9—Missouri Southern will play Central Missouri when the MIAA Postseason Softball Tournament resumes later this week at Central Oklahoma in Edmond.

The Jennies defeated Washburn 4-2 in the decisive third game of their quarterfinal series on Saturday afternoon in Warrensburg.

The top four seeds all won their quarterfinal series, and their season records are remarkably similar.

The double-elimination tournament begins on Thursday with two games — top-seeded Central Oklahoma (33-10) vs. fourth-seeded Rogers State (31-13-1) at 2 p.m. and second-seeded Central Missouri (32-11) vs. No. 3 Missouri Southern (29-13-1) at 5.

Friday's three-game session starts with the winners' bracket final at 11 a.m. Thursday's two losers meet in an elimination game at 2, and the 11 a.m. loser and 2 p.m. winner square off in the losers' bracket final at 5.

The championship game is set for noon on Saturday, and a second game, if necessary, will follow.

BALAZS RESIGNS

Pittsburg State athletics director Jim Johnson announced on Saturday that softball coach Ashley Balazs has resigned.

Balazs posted a 74-106 record in her four seasons as the Gorillas' coach, including a 37-45 record in MIAA games. This year the Gorillas finished 15-29 overall and 9-17 in league play (11th place).

Before coming to PSU in 2018, Balazs spent three seasons as an assistant coach at Evansville. She was head coach at Viterbo University in LaCrosse, Wisconsin, in 2014.