ST. LOUIS - The start of the final weekend of the regular season got off to a strong start for the Truman Softball team with a big doubleheader sweep over the Maryville Saints on Thursday. Kaylyn Jones and Maddie Anderson combine for a 3-0 shutout in game one followed by a 6-3 victory in the nightcap.

With the wins, the Bulldogs moved into a tie for the eighth and final tournament spot with the Saints and Rockhurst at 11-13 records. Truman State now holds doubleheader sweeps over the Saints and Illinois Springfield (11-12 record) with two games left. The Bulldogs will face Missouri S&T (12-11) on Sunday in Rolla. 

Brieanna Klein doubled to start the third inning and after a sacrifice bunt from Caragan Baker, Lily Arndt drove in Klein for an RBI single and a 1-0 lead in the opener. 

The Bulldogs escaped a bases loaded jam in the fourth when the hitter lined out to Cali Coombs at second and she flipped the ball over to first for the inning ending double play.

The first two Bulldogs reached in the fifth with Baker getting on base via an error by the right fielder and Cassie Smith singling through the right side advancing the runner to third. Smith moved up on a stolen base and Coombs brought in Baker with a fielder's choice. Pinch runner Madi McCarty took off from second prompting a throw towards third to try and get Smith, however the ball sailed into left field allowing her to touch home for the 3-0 lead.

Kaylyn Jones and Maddie Anderson combine to shutout the Saints. Jones picked up her eighth win of the season going four innings and Anderson got the save tossing the final three. 

The Bulldogs got the carousel going in the second inning of game two. Klein led off the frame drawing a walk followed by singles from Sofia Birkenholz and Nina Fenasci to load them up. Brooke Nutter forced a run in with a walk and after a pitching change, McCarty brought home Birkenholz with a single to left. Coombs hit a ball to second and the throw for a double play was low allowing not only her to avoid an inning-ending double play, but brining home two runs on some aggressive base running by the Bulldogs to make it 4-0.

Cameryn Patterson started the third with a solo home run to push the lead out to 5-0.

The Saints got a pair back as a one-out error led to two runs in the bottom of the third but after Coombs drew a two-out walk in the fourth, Emily Wood sliced a triple to left bringing her in to give the Bulldogs a four-run cushion. 

Maryville loaded the bases in the bottom of the seventh with one out but Klein closed the game in relief getting a sacrifice fly for out number two and a groundout to short to end the game.

Charlotte Chelich earned the win with three innings of relief work.