EAST PEORIA, Ill. - The 2018 Truman State University softball team's season came to a close on Thursday on day one of the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) Tournament. The Bulldogs gave up a 2-0 lead to Missouri S&T and the Miners advanced with a 10-3 win over the Purple and White.

Truman (26-20) failed to win a game in a conference tournament for the first time in eight years and just the third time in program history (2008 and 2010). On the other side, Missouri S&T (26-26) and former Erin Brown assistant, Cathy Monroe, move on to play No. 25 McKendree (38-15) on Friday in another elimination game.

After no scoring through the first two and a half innings, Truman struck first in the bottom of the third with a two spot on the board. Michaela Mooney was hit by a pitch with one out before the starting pitcher, Alyssa Hajduk, stepped in for her first collegiate at-bat. Hajduk helped herself with a single to left to put runners on first and second for the leadoff batter, Riley Cook. Cook reached on a bunt single, Mooney scored, Hajduk advanced to third, and Cook proceeded to steal second base during the next at-bat. That at-bat belonged to Ashley Murphy (pictured) who singled to center and brought in Hajduk with one of her team-leading two hits.

However, in the top of the fourth, Missouri S&T responded with six runs, none of which were earned, on two hits and one error by Jamie Fowle at shortstop. Two innings later, the Miners pushed their advantage to six, 9-3, and added their 10th run in the top of the seventh. Before that 10th run came in for Missouri S&T, though, second baseman, Kayla Quanstrum hit her first career home run, a solo shot over the fence in left center.

In three and a third innings of work, Hajduk (12-7) gave up six unearned runs on just three hits with six walks and five strikeouts. The sophomore hurler wrapped up her second campaign as a Bulldog with a 2.39 ERA, which is a run and a half lower than her freshman mark, and did it with 26 and a third more innings pitched. In relief, Lauren Dale allowed four runs, three earned, on eight hits with no free passes and two punchouts.

The softball program now says goodbye to its five seniors in Cook, Murphy, Fowle, Kadie Orenstein, and Nicolette Simpson. Those five combined to play in 683 games with 614 starts over the past four seasons. Truman will return 12 players from this roster for 2019 and they'll be joined by a recruiting class that features seven more. Those 19 will consist of seven freshmen, two sophomores, four juniors, and six seniors.

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