(MARYVILLE, Mo.) — The Central Missouri Jennies split their MIAA doubleheader at Northwest Missouri on Friday afternoon and in the process stayed in first place in the MIAA standings with six games to play. The Jens won the opener 4-1, before falling 2-1 in the nightcap.

The Jennies (33-13, 15-5 MIAA) got out to an early lead with three runs in the second inning. Madison Hood got things started for the Jens with a two-run double to center field, UCM would tack on another run on Ali Jo Rogers‘ infield single. Jakki Prater singled to lead off the fifth, went to second on a single, third on a double play and scored on a passed ball to give UCM a 4-0 lead.

The Bearcats (21-21, 13-9 MIAA) got a run back in the seventh on Rebecca Maher’s RBI single, but that is all they would get against UCM starter Katie Shockley (15-5). Shockley tossed a complete-game seven-hitter to earn the win. She walked three and struck out one. Sarah Baldwin (9-7) took the loss for NWMSU after allowing four runs on six hits in seven innings.

The Jennies ran in to a buzzsaw in game two in the form of Bearcat starter Kendle Schieber (8-6). She allowed one run on two hits over seven innings while striking out 11. The Jennies lone run came on a Prater two-out home run in the top of the seventh.

Northwest Missouri scored a pair of unearned runs off of Prater (12-7) to grab the 2-1 win. They scored once in the second on a UCM throwing error and another in the sixth when Maher reached on an error and later scored on Schieber’s RBI single.

Prater allowed the two unearned runs on five hits in six innings. She struck out three and walked one.

The Jennies are back in action on Tuesday afternoon when they travel to Joplin to take on Missouri Southern in a doubleheader beginning at 3 p.m.