BENTONVILLE, Ark. - The Drury Softball Panthers earned a split with a 5-3 nightcap win over Northwestern Oklahoma State after falling 10-8 in the opener vs. Ouachita Baptist at the Arkansas Monticello Classic here on Saturday.
Drury is now 2-4, Ouachita Baptist improved to 5-2 and Northwestern Oklahoma State fell to 1-6.
Drury who reached a season high 12 hits in both of Saturday's contests, was led in the nightcap vs. Northwestern Oklahoma State by Kaelie Smith who had three hits and two RBIs and Kari Hillenburg who had three hits and scored two runs in the nightcap.
After a pair of scoreless innings in the nightcap, Drury scored three runs on six hits and an error in the top of the third. Northwestern added a run in the bottom of the third and two more in the fifth to tie it up 3-3. RBI singles by Peck and Smith for DU in the sixth made it a 5-3 DU final.
Shelby Weissenbach (1-2) earned the win allowing just six hits for Drury with Jalena Arthur (0-3) receiving the loss for Northwestern Oklahoma State.
In today's opener, both teams posted 12 hits each for 24 knocks in the contest.
Smith homered for the games first run to give DU a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Ouachita Baptist erupted for nine runs, on seven hits and two errors in a huge offensive inning in the top of the second to make it a 9-1 Tigers lead. Drury scored four runs on four hits in the bottom half of the second to cut the lead to 9-5 highligted by a a two RBI triple from Smith and a two RBI double by Hillenburg.
After holding the Tigers at bay in the top of the third Drury added a pair of runs on four hits in the bottom half of the third to cut the OBU lead to 9-7. An RBI single by
Rachael Michaelis in the fourth pulled the Panthers to within a run 9-8. Ouachita added the games final run on an RBI groundout in the top of the six for the 10-8 final.
OBU was led by Sarah Johsnon who finished with three hits and two RBIs and the Panthers were led by Hillenburg who had three hits, three RBIs and scored a run. Smith added two hits, three RBIs and scored a run and Michaelis,
Chantal Oelrich and
Alyssa Sargent all racked up two hits each.
Jessica Kjeldgaard (0-2) received the loss for DU and Kelsey O'Brien (2-2) got the win for Ouachita Baptist.
Due to weather forecast the games scheduled for tomorrow at the Arkansas-Monticello Classic have been cancelled. Drury will be at the Teri Mathis Zenner Memorial Tournament hosted by Missouri Southern in Joplin on February 27-28.
