Grizzly Softball starts strong in region play

With an all-around strong effort, both offensively and defensively, the Missouri State University-West Plains (MSU-WP) Grizzlies swept a Saturday doubleheader against Moberly Area Community College at Battle High School in Columbia.

The Grizzlies took a 6-2 victory from the Greyhounds behind freshman pitcher Anabelle Hitt's solid pitching performance. The Lynchburg product allowed just one earned run on four hits with seven strikeouts. This gives her three wins on the season so far. 

At the plate, freshman infielder Kenzie Massey, Grandby, led the way with a 3-5 performance, knocking in two RBIs while teammate Lexy Bridges, a freshman outfielder from Diamond, also chipped in three hits and came around to score twice during the first game of the doubleheader. 

The Grizzlies faced adversity in the first game as freshman first basemen Maddie Good, Branson, left the game early with an injury. Normally a pitcher, Kailey Garrett, Plato, stepped up to fill in for Good at first base for the remainder of the game. 

"We showed great effort both defensively and offensively against Moberly, which combined for a great win," said Grizzly Softball Head Coach Don Long.

Game two action against Moberly

In game two against the Greyhounds, the Grizzlies snuck in a 7-6 win behind a hot start at the plate. The victory was headlined by Madalyn Ivy's first home run of the season. The freshman outfielder is from Mansfield.

Bridges picked up where she left off in the first game with another three hit effort that included three RBIs. Freshman infielder Tessa Feeback, Fordland, also added two doubles to another strong offensive showing for the Grizzlies. 

It was a combined pitching effort that helped clinch the doubleheader sweep. Starter Garrett picked up her first win of the season with four hard fought innings before Hitt came in on relief to finish the final three innings. 

After the doubleheader, Long was pleased with his team's efforts in its first conference action. "I am proud of the way the girls played in their first conference games. It was important to get two great wins to set the tone for our first season playing in Region 16," he said.

Grizzlies split doubleheader with MAC at home

The Grizzlies returned home Tuesday, March 28, for the first two games of a four-game home stand at the Hilburn Sports Complex. Their opponent Tuesday was Region 16 Rival Mineral Area College (MAC) in a midweek doubleheader. 

The Grizzlies' bats went cold during the chilly afternoon as they only mustered five hits against the Cardinals and dropped the first game, 5-3.  

The Grizzlies jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first on a Ivy's sacrifice fly to right field, but they couldn't hold the lead as the Cardinals responded with four unanswered runs in the fourth and sixth innings. 

The Grizzlies kept fighting with a strong sixth inning. Ivy knocked in Bridges on a hard ground ball to left field, then Feeback added a run of her own with a double to left field that scored freshman infielder Hailey Garrison, Sarcoxie. 

Hitt pitched a complete seven innings in the first game, allowing four earned runs. The fifth Cardinal run came by the way of defensive miscues. She also struck out nine Cardinal batters. 

"I am proud of our girls for their gritty effort today while facing adversity," Long said.

Game two action against MAC

It was that gritty effort that led to a 6-4 Grizzly win in a back-and-forth nightcap against the Cardinals. 

The Grizzlies bounced back after a rough first game at the plate scoring six runs on eight hits led by Molly Poole's 2-3 performance that included a double and a home run. 

After allowing a run at the top of the first inning, the Grizzlies took the lead back from the Cardinals with a three-run effort at the bottom. The rally started off with a Bridges walk and a double by Poole, a freshman infielder from Monett. Garrison smashed a single to left field that allowed Bridges to cross home plate. The Grizzlies took the lead on a sacrifice fly by Ivy that scored Poole then added another run on a wild pitch from the Cardinals that brought Garrison home. 

MAC followed its one run first inning with another in the second and two more in the third to take the lead back from the Grizzlies. 

Down one in the bottom of the fifth, the Grizzlies began rolling offensively again with a walk by Massey and single by Bridges. With Poole at the plate, the Grizzlies completed a double steal by Massey and Bridges to put them into scoring position. 

That didn't matter as Poole hit a fly ball to center field that went over the fence to score all three runs to give the Grizzlies a two-run lead. 

Garrett followed up her strong Saturday performance with another great outing by throwing six innings and allowing only three runs and while striking out two Cardinal batters. Hitt came in on relief to get the save in the seventh inning with two strikeouts of her own. Garrett notched her second win of the season.

For more information about the Grizzly Softball team, visit the team's Facebook page, Facebook.com/GrizzlySB, or MSUWPGrizzlies.com.