Bearcat Numbers

NWMSU 2 6 0
MSSU 0 3 1
E - Weston (MSSU)
2B - McCoy (NW)
WP - MacDonald (6-7)
LP - Stanford (7-11)

NWMSU 6 11 0
MSSU 2 5 1
E - Long (MSSU)
2B - Spring 2, Schulenberg, Pride (NW); Weston (MSSU)
WP - Hainline (8-12)
LP - Schneider (12-11)

JOPLIN, Mo. -- The Northwest Missouri State University softball team got a pair of strong pitching performances and a big day at the plate from Megan Spring (Sr., Warsaw, Mo.) Saturday. The Bearcats used those performances to sweep Missouri Southern 2-0 and 6-2 at Gene Wild Field.

Northwest starting pitcher Shelly MacDonald (Sr., Lawson, Mo.) scattered three hits and shut out the Lions in the contest. MacDonald did not allow a baserunner until the fourth inning. By then, the Bearcats were already up 2-0. Missori Southern put two baserunners on in the fourth, but that was the only scoring threat of the game.

Lindsay Stephenson (Soph., Omaha, Neb.) led off the game with a walk. She stole second and moved to third on a sacrifice. With two outs, Spring singled to score Stephenson angd put the 'Cats up 1-0. Stephenson led off the third with a single and later gave the 'Cats a 2-0 lead, scoring when Spring reached on an error.

MacDonald picked up the victory, raising her record to 6-7.

Northwest got out to an early lead against the Lions in the nightcap. Spring led off the second with a double, giving her the all-time career record for doubles at Northwest. Kaytee Schulenberg (Fr., Independence, Mo.) doubled down the left-field line to score Spring and give Northwest a 1-0 lead.

Linellis Santiago (Fr., Omaha, Neb.) and Stephenson both singled to lead off the third. With two out, Spring banged another double double to right-center, scoring Santiago and Stephenson for a 3-0 lead. The Bearcats went on top 4-0 in the fourth. Melissa Nimmo (Sr., Omaha, Neb.) reached on an error and scored on a Tami Phillips (Fr., Omaha, Neb.) double to the left-field corner.

Southern finally cracked the scoreboard against Northwest starter Kelly Hainline (Jr., Topeka, Kan.) in the fourth with a single run. But Northwest answered with two runs of its own in the top of the fifth. Katy John (Soph., Blue Springs, Mo.) led off the inning with a single and stole second. She scored on an Ashley Pride (Soph., Ravenwood, Mo.) single. Pride later came around to score on Spring's third straight hit, making the score 6-1.

The Lions added a single run in the sixth, but it wasn't enough. Hainline improved her record to 8-12. Spring was three-for-four in the game with three RBIs and a run scored.