Western softball rallies to sweep Northwest
Apr. 15—Missouri Western softball needed extra innings to secure a victory in game one of its doubleheader versus MIAA rival Northwest.
The Griffons rallied to a 10-9 win in eight innings and then held on to beat the Bearcats 4-3 in the nightcap Wednesday at MWSU Spring Sports Complex.
"Anytime we face off against Northwest, it's always going to be a good game no matter where our teams are sitting in the season," Missouri Western head coach Jen Bagley Trotter said. "It's a rivalry game."
After the Griffons (22-10) built an 8-3 lead by scoring six runs in the third in game one, Northwest came alive in the top of the seventh inning.
The Bearcats (13-15) scored five runs in the seventh to force extra innings and then took the lead, 9-8, in the top of the eighth.
But it wasn't over for the Griffons just yet.
Missouri Western junior Sydni Hawkins led off the bottom of the eighth inning with a single to right. Then junior Brea Blanton hit a triple to right center to drive in Hawkins, tying the game at 9-9.
It marked Blanton's first ever triple in college play.
"They all swarmed me and gave me hugs and they said, 'Way to not let your mentality take over,' because in my previous three at-bats I was just mad and so they were just telling me that they knew that I could do it," Blanton said.
The finale featured Missouri Western senior Emma Hoffart stepping up to the plate and reaching on a fielder's choice to the pitcher.
Hoffart then had a run-down between first and second base intentionally, and Northwest pitcher Kaitlyn Weis threw the ball away at second, allowing Blanton to score the winning run from third to secure the walk-off victory in eight innings, 10-9.
Missouri Western freshman Sydney Rader went all eight innings in the circle as she is now 10-4 this season. Rader allowed nine runs on 11 hits and had four strikeouts.
After a wild finish to game one, the Griffons managed to tie game two up at one apiece after four innings.
Bagley Trotter told her team to not overlook their opponent.
"Let's not lose it. 1-1 is not enough against Northwest. I knew that. We knew that," Bagley Trotter said.
The Griffons then used a three-run bottom of the sixth inning to break the tie, taking a 4-1 lead into the seventh.
Their rival didn't go away easily, however. Northwest again tried to rally its way back into the game by scoring two runs, but the Griffons pieced together three outs to end the threat and pick up the 4-3 win.
Kaili Hinds threw a complete game, allowing three runs on seven hits.
After the sweep, Bagley Trotter noted Northwest's grit.
"They're just relentless. When you have a team that can fight you in the seventh inning, that's impressive," Bagley Trotter said. "They were down quite a few. A team with less character would've turned over and they didn't, they went toe-to-toe with us."
Even with the doubleheader sweep, Bagley Trotter said she expects more out of her squad.
"Even though that was a crowd pleasing game to watch, it was unbearable to coach. We just need to make sure that going forward we're taking care of the momentum all the way through seven," Bagley Trotter said. "We can't look at the sixth and seventh inning as being whatever the score was in the fifth."
Missouri Western travels to Nebraska-Kearney on Saturday for a doubleheader. Northwest has a doubleheader Saturday at Fort Hays State.
