The Central Missouri Jennies softball team split a doubleheader against the No. 11 ranked Missouri Southern Lions on April 17 at the Pat Lipira Softball Complex in Joplin, Missouri. The Jennies won the first game 7-5 and dropped the second game 4-3.
This result marks a notable achievement for Central Missouri, as it is their first road win over a top-15 opponent since March of last year, when they defeated then-No. 8 Rogers State.
In game one, Marisa Johnson led off the second inning with a single before Lexi Blackmon put the Jennies ahead by two runs following a sacrifice bunt and fielding errors by Missouri Southern. Johnson contributed an RBI single in the third inning, followed by another run batted in from Blackmon to make it 4-0. The Lions responded with three runs but Taylor Thompson’s solo home run—her fourteenth of the season—extended Central Missouri’s lead to two runs. Jadyn Sheffield added an insurance run in the sixth inning, and Cydney Fullerton drove in another in the seventh to secure victory for pitcher Bailey Brumley, who earned her ninth win of the season. Riley Bebb recorded her third save.
In game two, Missouri Southern took an early lead with runs in both the third and fourth innings. The Jennies rallied late; aggressive baserunning forced an error that allowed them to score before Fullerton tied it up with an RBI bunt single. Kyrsten Moran’s sacrifice fly gave Central Missouri a brief lead until Missouri Southern evened things up again and ultimately secured victory with a walk-off run in the seventh inning. Bebb was charged with her fourth loss of the season while Fullerton led offensively for Central Missouri.
The Jennies will continue conference play on April 18 when they face No. 2 Pittsburg State Gorillas for another doubleheader at Pittsburg State Softball Complex.
