By JACOB WOERTHER
Sports Editor

Jennies fall 8-0 to Southwest Baptist to open double-header

(WARRENSBURG, Mo., digitalBURG) — Jennies softball dropped their first game home game of the season in a 5-inning, 8-0 loss to Southwest Baptist Friday at the South Recreational Complex.

Similar to the brisk wind outside, the Jennies’ bats were ice-cold in the first game. The team combined for just four hits over 17 at-bats.

The Bearcats wasted little time putting runs on the board. Dana Graves doubled with runners on first and second in the top of the first, driving in Catlin Evans. SBU added two more runs in the first. Megan Schellert scored off a fielder’s choice and Lauren Strobel drove in a run with a RBI single.

Both Courtni Smith and Alex Leonhart singled in the bottom of the first, but the Jennies were unable to bring them home.

SBU’s Kori Hillenburg got on base with a single to center field in the second. She scored off a groundout by Schellert, giving the Bearcats a 4-0 lead.

Darien Robinson cushioned the Bearcats lead with a two-run homer in the fourth. The Bearcats also scored off a wild pitch later in the inning to extend their lead to 7-0.

SBU scored their eighth and final run of the game in the fifth inning following a single from Graves that drove in a run. The eighth was enough for the 8-in-5 mercy rule and the Bearcats walked away victorious.

Katie Giacone took her second loss of the season after allowing 10 hits, eight runs and five walks over five innings.

Robinson got the win for the Bearcats after holding the Jennies scoreless. She also contributed to the Bearcat offense with three hits and two RBIs that included a home run.

Coach Anderson earns 500th win following an 8-0 victory in the Jennies second game

Despite being shutout in the first game of the double-header, Jennies softball bounced back and reversed the roles in the second game, defeating the Bearcats 8-0 in five innings.

Friday’s victory marked Jennies head coach Susan Anderson’s 500th career victory. Anderson began coaching the Jens in 2007 and accumulated 319 wins for the program.

The Jennies and Bearcats remained scoreless through the first three innings, but a dominant fourth inning by the Jens put them up 5-0. Lauryn Deer singled with runners on the corners to score the first run for UCM. Hailey Crabtree followed up with a two-RBI single that scored Deer and Aubry Daniel. Lauren Mable added an additional two runs with a two-RBI double to close out the inning for the Jennies.

Alex Daniel singled in the fifth, scoring Leonhart and Carlie Rose. Hailey Crabtree hit a two-RBI single later in the inning to give the Jennies an 8-0 lead, enough to call the game after five.

Alexa Bradley improved her record to 3-7 after allowing no walks or runs and only giving up three hits over five innings.

Daniel’s pitching was aided by a Jennies offense that found new life in the second game. Crabtree went 2-for-4 on the day with four RBIs, Mable finished with two hits and two RBIs, Daniel went 3-for-3 and added an RBI, and Deer had two hits and batted a runner in.

The Bearcats’ Claire Miller fell to 3-2 on the season. Miller gave up seven hits and five runs over three and two-thirds innings. Hunter Middleton relieved Miller and allowed three more runs.

The Jennies will head to Pittsburg State for their next contest March 14. The games will take place at 3 and 5 p.m.