MARYVILLE, Mo. - The Northwest Missouri State University softball team split a doubleheader with the Missouri Southern Lions Tuesday at Bearcat Field.

Northwest won the opening game, 3-1. Missouri Southern evened things up with a 5-0 triumph in game two.

GAME ONE
Aubrey Griffith helped Northwest take an early 1-0 lead in the second inning with a single, recording an RBI as she scored Lauren Gray.

Missouri Southern came back and tied it up at 1-1 with a solo home run in the fourth.

In the bottom of the fifth, the Bearcats had Madison Friest up to bat with two outs and runners on first and second. Friest kept the inning alive with a double off the wall in center, scoring Skylar Pieper and Abby Nolte to give Northwest a 3-1 advantage.

Breck Dickey pitched all seven innings striking out three batters. Dickey recorded her seventh win of the season.

Lauren Gray went 2-for-3 at the plate.

GAME TWO
Northwest found themselves down early as Missouri Southern took the lead off three unearned runs in the top of the first inning.

The Bearcats and Lions both had struggles getting runners on base until the sixth inning. Missouri Southern scored two more unearned runs to increase its lead to 5-0.

Northwest had runners on first and second in the bottom of the seventh but could not bring them home.

Hannah Blackford went 3-for-3 with two singles and a double.

Hayden Simmons pitched six innings while striking out three batters. Raven Defrain came in to pitch the final inning giving up no hits and no runs.

Northwest is now 12-35, 6-16 MIAA.