Softball
Griffon softball (8-4) only needed 11 innings to sweep a doubleheader from Wayne State (Nebraska), Saturday, Feb. 23 in Joplin, Missouri. The Griffons batted .424 on the day with nine doubles, two triples and a home run while outscoring the Wildcats (1-3) 19-3. Brea Blanton got her first two career starts at designated player and delivered five hits in seven at bats with four RBIs. Gabi Carter and Tamara Hicks had four hits each on the day. Morgan Frost and Emma Hoffart each had three hits.
On Sunday, Feb. 24, they split a doubleheader with Sioux Falls, in Joplin. In game one, the Griffons found themselves down 9-1 before scoring seven unanswered run and getting the tying run to third with two out in the top of the seventh. Missouri Western couldn’t get the ninth run home to extend the game and fell 9-8. Game two didn’t present quite as much drama as the Griffons fell behind by two runs in the second. They tied it in the third then added three in the fifth and one in the sixth to win
6-2.
Next up, the softball team plays at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 26 at Drury University in Springfield, Missouri.
Baseball
Griffon Baseball (3-5, 1-0) won its MIAA opener Sunday, Feb. 23 behind another dominating performance by a starting pitcher and some opportune offense.
Anthony Castanedastruck out 12 batters in seven innings as Missouri Western took game one of a three game series with Fort Hays State (0-9, 0-1) in Edmond, Oklahoma (it was supposed to be in St. Joseph, but there was too much snow on the Spring Sports Complex).
The men play again at noon on Monday, Feb. 25.
Indoor Track & Field
Missouri Western competed in its final team competition of the indoor season at the MIAA Indoor Track and Field Championships in Maryville, Missouri on Sunday, Feb. 24. Both the women’s and men’s teams finished 12th in the three-day event.
Sunday was the finals for nine track events, as well as several field events for the both the men and women. After qualifying for the women’s 200m and 400m finals on Saturday, Hanna Williams was unable to compete in Sunday’s finals. However, Williams will advance to the NCAA Div. II Indoor National Championships in the 400m on March 8 due to her automatic qualifying mark of 54.37 set at the Bearcat Invite on Feb. 9.
Several other Griffons have earned provisional marks throughout the indoor season and will wait to see if those marks will qualify for the national championships. The official selection show for the NCAA Div. II National Championships will air Tuesday, Feb. 26.
Men’s Basketball
On Thursday, Feb. 21 men’s basketball set the tone right out of the opening tip of their 85-71 victory at Southwest Baptist. The Griffons gained their first lead two minutes into the game before vaulting out to an 18-point lead in the first half and led throughout the remainder of the game.
Unfortunately, their game on Saturday, Feb. 23 didn’t go their way. One week after suffering defeat at the hands of a Central Missouri buzzer-beater, the team again fell in heartbreaking fashion to the Mules. After rallying from a 13-point second-half deficit, the Griffons held a seven-point lead with under four minutes remaining. Central Missouri would then hold the Griffons to just one made basket in the final three minutes en route to a 12-2 run to win 69-66 on Saturday.
The men’s record now stands at 12-16 overall and 6-11 in the MIAA. Next up is a 7:30 p.m. game Tuesday, Feb. 26 against the Bearcats at Northwest Missouri State.
Women’s Basketball
On Feb. 21, women’s basketball team fell victim to a little revenge at Southwest Baptist. After scoring 50 points in the second half last week against SBU in the Looney fieldhouse, Missouri Western was outscored 41-24 in the second half in round two of the series.
They lost again to the Mules of Central Missouri in a matchup on Feb. 23. The Griffons had trouble slowing down the defending champions’ offense, as the Jennies scored 86 points, the most by a Missouri Western opponent this season.
The women’s record is 12-14 and 7-10 in the MIAA. They play Northwest Missouri State at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 26 in Maryville.
Women’s Tennis
After over two weeks off from competition, women’s tennis (4-2) returned to the courts in a 6-1 victory
over Quincy University (Illinois) on Friday afternoon, Feb. 22. The Griffons have now won three straight matches after dropping their first match of the spring season.
The Griffons again swept doubles play with three convincing wins. Karolina Ström and Joanna Abreu Roman improved to 4-0 in doubles this spring with a 6-3 victory.
Next up, the Griffons play at 3 p.m. on Friday, March 1 at John Brown University in Siloam Springs, Arkansas.