The Truman State softball team went 2-2 at the Branson Grand Slam this weekend, picking up a pair of wins on Saturday before dropping two on Sunday. The tournament marked another step forward for the Bulldogs, who picked up a victory against (RV) Washburn.
Game 1: vs. Washburn University | March 7 | W, 3-1
Truman State opened the tournament with a gritty, low-scoring win over Washburn University on Saturday. Avaree Taylor set the tone with four and two-thirds innings of work, holding Washburn to one run before giving way to Jayda Long in relief. Long was sharp down the stretch, tossing two and a third scoreless innings to earn the win. The Bulldogs trailed 1-0 after Burgardt's solo home run in the fourth, but Cassie Smith got things rolling in the sixth with a single — she finished the day 3-for-4 to lead everyone at the plate. Long tied the game with an RBI single, and the Bulldogs took the lead for good in the seventh when Emily Wood and Katie Pilcher each drove in a run. Sofia Birkenholz was a standout in the field, handling six chances without an error as Truman played a clean game defensively.
Game 2: vs. Lincoln University | March 7 | W, 6-1
Truman kept the momentum going in the second game of Saturday with a convincing 6-1 victory over Lincoln University. The Bulldogs scored in each of the first three innings and never looked back. Pilcher got things started with a two-run sacrifice fly in the first, Long followed with a solo home run in the second, and Riley Redig added an RBI single to push the lead to four. Pilcher capped the scoring with a solo home run in the third to give Truman a comfortable cushion. Lydia Feiste earned the win, allowing just one run over four innings, and Long came on in relief to close things out with three perfect innings, striking out two. Smith and Long each went 2-for-the-day offensively, and Smith swiped two of the team's four stolen bases. Lily Arndt handled five chances in the field without issue as Truman again played error-free ball.
Game 3: vs. UNK Lopers | March 8 | L, 3-12
Sunday opened with a tough loss to Nebraska-Kearney. Truman actually tied the game at one in the bottom of the first when Wood laid down a sacrifice bunt to plate a run, but the Lopers pulled away with a six-run fifth inning that put the game out of reach. Long started and worked four innings for the Bulldogs. Smith continued her strong weekend at the plate, going 2-for-3 again from the leadoff spot to lead Truman offensively. Galli did the most damage for UNK, tripling home two runs in the fifth and finishing with three RBI. Truman turned a double play defensively to show some resilience in the field despite the final score.
Game 4: vs. Minnesota-Duluth | March 8 | L, 2-13
The Bulldogs closed the tournament against Minnesota-Duluth, a team they faced at the Rosemont Dome Tournament last month. Truman actually jumped out to an early lead, scoring twice in the first inning on singles from Pilcher and others, but UMD responded quickly and never looked back. Thomas was the key bat for the Duluth, going 2-for-2 with two home runs and six RBI, and Johnson was equally tough, going 3-for-3. Taylor started in the circle for Truman. Sofia Birkenholz, Smith, Pilcher, and Maddie Hickman each collected a hit for the Bulldogs, with Hickman driving in a run. Truman played clean defense throughout, committing no errors on the day.
Up Next:
The Bulldogs have wrapped up their tournament season and stand at a record of 8-16 currently. However, they have picked up multiple wins over teams either currently ranked in the top 25 or who are receiving votes in the past two weekends. Truman will play both their home opener and their GLVC opener next Saturday at noon and 2:00 PM against McKendree. Come out to Bulldogs Softball Park for the home opener!
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