(TAHLEQUAH, Okla.) – In their first action in ten days due to inclement weather, the Central Missouri Jennies fell in both ends of a doubleheader with the Northeastern State Riverhawks, dropping game one 3-2, before falling in game two, 18-4.
The Riverhawks (12-16, 4-4 MIAA) took the lead early in game one, scoring an unearned run after a UCM fielding error. The Northeastern State lead stretched to 2-0 after a leadoff home run in the 3rd inning.
The Jennies (14-10, 4-4 MIAA) started chipping into the lead in the fourth inning. Jakki Prater kicked off a two-out rally with a single to left, followed by a single from Kristen Heil. Prater advanced from first to third on Heil’s base hit, then scored off an error from the Riverhawks third baseman.
Alex Groeger tied the game with the first of her two home runs on the day, a solo shot to right field to lead off the 5th inning. The Jens had a shot to take the lead in the sixth, after Emily Bybee-King drew a one-out walk, and Prater blasted a double through the gap in right-center, moving Bybee-King to third. Northeastern State were able to record the next two outs in a jam without giving up a run, however, and the score remained tied.
The Riverhawks took the lead in the bottom of the 6th, after the Jennies infield committed three straight errors to allow a run to score. The Jens nearly tied the game with another two out rally in the 7th, drawing a walk before Medora West’s single, but couldn’t push the run across, and falling in game one, 3-2.
In game two, the Jennies held an early lead after Groeger’s second home run of the day in the top of the 1st. The Jens’ advantage didn’t last long, however, as the Riverhawks scored four runs in the bottom half of the inning to take a 4-1 lead. Northeastern State then scored another four runs in the second inning, pushing their lead to 8-1.
UCM scored a pair of runs in the third, off a pair of hits and a key NSU throwing error. West started the rally with a one-out single, then moved to third as Braylyn Bivens reached base while attempting a sacrifice bunt. After Bivens stole second for her 16th stolen bag of the year, West scored on Groeger’s fielder’s choice. Bivens then scored on the next at-bat, when Prater doubled to right.
Northeastern State then posted the biggest rally of the day, putting the game out of reach with a 10-run fourth inning. The Riverhawks used ten hits and three errors in the rally. The Jennies got one run back in the top of the fifth with an Ali Jo Rogers home run, but it wouldn’t be enough to avoid the run-rule, as the Jens fell 18-4 in five innings.