ROMEOVILLE, Ill. – Lewis University's softball team split its doubleheader against Missouri S&T on Sunday afternoon at the S&T Softball Field in Rolla, Mo. The Flyers (24-14, 10-16 GLVC) won the opener 15-1 in five innings while the Miners (24-26, 12-16 GLVC) won the second game 3-1.
Lewis can still clinch a spot in the GLVC Tournament if it sweeps Maryville on Monday but should they split then McKendree will be the eight seed or if they lose both then the Saints are the eight seed.
Game 1: Lewis 15, Missouri S&T 1 (5 innings)
Lewis scored in every inning and scored multiple runs in three of those frames on its way to the run-rule victory.
The Flyers got a run on a hit in the first.
Gabi Nilles (North Aurora, Ill./West Aurora) led off the game with a double down the left field line, went to a third on a sacrifice bunt and scored on a groundout to second. Lewis scored four runs in the second highlighted by
Delaney Garden's (Carpentersville, Ill./H.D. Jacobs) three-run double to left to make it 5-0.
The Flyers added another run in the third as
Sara Serena (Kankakee, Ill./Kankakee) led off the inning with a double to right and scored on
Payton Wuske's (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln-Way East) two out single through the right side of the infield.
S&T scored on a run on two hits in its half of the third but stranded two runners.
Lewis added five runs on two hits and an error in the fourth and tacked on four more runs on four hits in the fifth.
The Flyers outhit the Miners 13-3 and were led by Nilles and Wuske with two hits each while Garden and
Jalyn Powell (Tolono, Ill./Unity) each drove in three runs. Garden picked up the win in the circle allowing a run on three hits with five strikeouts to improve to 11-9 on the season.
Game 2: Missouri S&T 3, Lewis 1
Lewis struck first in the nightcap with a run in the first. With one out, Garden doubled to left and scored on Powell's double to left center. The Flyers had a chance to add on but left Powell stranded at second to end the inning.
Lewis had chances to extend its lead but left runners on base in the third, fifth and sixth innings.
The Miners tied the game in the fifth on a sacrifice fly with the bases loaded and then took the lead in the sixth on a two-run double to right center off the bat of Ashley Davis.
The Flyers got the tying run on in the seventh but were unable to tie the game as a pop out and a fly out ended the game.
Lewis was outhit in the contest 7-5 and were led by Nilles, Garden, Powell, Wuske and
Meghan Bontrager (Milford, Ind./Northridge) with one hit apiece. Wuske took the loss in the circle allowing three runs, one earned, on seven hits with two strikeouts and a walk to fall to 9-8 on the season.
The Flyers wrap up the regular season on Monday as they travel to St. Louis on Monday to take on Maryville in a doubleheader at 11 a.m.
