PITTSBURG, Kan. – The Truman Softball team lost a pair to schools from the MIAA on Saturday. The Bulldogs lost 8-5 in extra innings to the University of Central Missouri and then fell 10-2 to Pittsburg State. Truman will head back into Missouri on Sunday with a doubleheader against Missouri Southern State University.

Game 1: Central Missouri 8, Truman State 5
The Bulldogs had the Jennies down to their final out but Central Missouri was able to push across the tying run with two gone in the seventh and broke open the game in the eighth for an 8-5 win.

Central scored first in the fifth on a sac fly but the Bulldogs countered with three of their own in the bottom of the inning. Mackenzie West drew a leadoff walk and Callie Unrein sacrificed her to second on a bunt. Maria McGonegle reached on an error putting runners at the corner and Brooke Nutter knocked a double to center scoring West.

After a pitching change, Lauren Stade laid down the squeeze play that scored McGonegle and kept runners on first and third. Cassie Smith followed with a hard ground ball to second that was booted, bringing in Madi McCarty for a 3-1 lead.

West hit a solo home run in the sixth to make it 4-1 Truman.

The seventh started with a single followed by an error to put two runners aboard. Emily Eberwine threw out a runner at the plate for the first out of the inning but a two-run single followed to close the gap to 4-3. The next hitter popped out to short and with a tying run on second a base hit up the middle allowed the tying run to score.

Using the tie-breaker rules of the courtesy runner at second, the first Jennies hitter sacrificed the runner to third and she would come in to score on a fielding error.  Following an out, the Bulldogs intentionally loaded the bases but a single to center field again brought two insurance runs in to make it 8-4.

Eberwine doubled in Smith to start Truman's eighth but she was caught trying to steal third.
The Jennies walked the next two hitters to bring the tying run to the plate and after a strikeout walked Nina Fenasci to load the bases. MCGonegle put the pitch into play but lined out to left to end the game.
 
Pittsburg State 10, Truman State 2
In the Saturday finale, the Gorillas used a four-run fourth inning to break open a 3-1 game and won 10-2 in five innings. Emily Eberwine and Macy Taylor collected two hits each for the Bulldogs.

Taylor led off the third with an infield single and swiped second to move into scoring position. She would come in to make it 2-1 after Cassie Smith singled through the right side.

Pittsburg got the run back on a solo home run in the bottom of the inning.

Truman loaded the bases in the fifth and Brieanna Klein took one for the team for the next Bulldog run, however an inning ending double-play ended the threat.

Pitt State would go on to end the game with three runs in the bottom of the fifth.