MSSU softball sweeps Lincoln

The Joplin Globe, Mo.
·2 min read

Apr. 18—JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Leighton Withers ignited Missouri Southern's offensive with a first-inning home run, and a seven-run seventh inning put the finishing touches on a 12-4 victory over Lincoln on Saturday afternoon at the LU Softball Field.

Bailey Lacy and Kara Amos combined for a four-hit shutout as the Lions beat Lincoln 5-0 to complete the MIAA doubleheader sweep.

The Lions (19-12-1, 10-5-1 MIAA) have another league twinbill at 1 p.m. Sunday at Central Missouri.

MSSU 12, LINCOLN 4

Withers finished 2 for 4 and drove in four runs, and Adrianna Young contributed three hits and an RBI to spark the Lions' 13-hit attack.

Makaila Leonhart walked with one out in the first inning and moved to third on Josie Tofpi's double to right field. Withers followed with her three-run homer to left field to put the Lions ahead to stay.

Young followed with a single down the right-field line, took second on a wild pitch and scored on Amos' single to center to make it 4-0.

The Lions added a run in the fifth inning when Yazmin Vargas singled up the middle and advanced around the bases on a stolen base and two passed balls. They broke the game open with their seven-run seventh, aided by three Lincoln errors.

A throwing error allowed the first run to score, and the final six runs scored after two were out. A single by Tofpi, double by withers and triple by Young each scored a run. Young scored on an error on Amos' ground ball, and Lynlee Parrott, who walked as a pinch hitter to begin the inning, hit a two-run triple to left to cap the spree.

Vargas and Tofpi each had two hits for the Lions.

MSSU starting pitcher Abby Atkin allowed five hits and three runs (two earned) in two innings. Lacy (7-1) entered in the third inning and gave up just one hit — Alex Miller's leadoff homer in the seventh inning — and fanned 12 in the last five innings.

MSSU 5, LINCOLN 0

Lacy started the second game and gave up one hit, fanned four and walked three in the first three innings.

Amos (5-4) allowed three hits in the final four innings and got the victory.

Grace Parrott's RBI double gave the Lions a 1-0 lead in the second inning, and Withers hit a run-scoring single to make it 2-0 in the third.

Again, the Lions had a productive seventh inning as singles by Sidnie Hurst and Vargas preceded Leonhart's triple to left field to make it 4-0.

Leonhart came home on Tofpi's groundout to second.

Vargas had two of the Lions' seven hits.