KIRKSVILLE, Mo. — The Truman State softball team wrapped up the 2025-26 season this past weekend with a pair of doubleheaders on the road, splitting both days against Missouri-St. Louis on Saturday and Maryville on Sunday.
Game 1 vs UMSL: Truman 3, Mo.-St. Louis 4
The Bulldogs fell in the opener at UMSL, 4-3, in a game that came down to the final at-bat.
Truman struck first in the top of the first inning when Cassie Smith singled home Emily Wood to make it 1-0. UMSL answered immediately in the bottom of the frame, as Kiley Sullivan tripled home Kossina to tie the game at 1-1.
The Tritons broke it open in the fourth. With two outs, Gracie Philpot singled through the left side, driving in two runs to make it 3-1. Stoltz added a solo home run to left-center in the sixth to push the lead to 4-1.
Truman made things interesting in the seventh. Ella Florey and Lydia Feiste scored on back-to-back fielding errors by UMSL shortstop Pasqualini, pulling the Bulldogs within 4-3. But Truman couldn't push the tying run across, and the Tritons held on for the win.
Jayda Long took the loss, allowing three earned runs over three innings in relief of starter Avaree Taylor.
Game 2 vs UMSL: Truman 10, Mo.-St. Louis 3
The Bulldogs bounced back emphatically in the nightcap, rolling to a 10-3 victory.
Truman wasted no time in game two. Emily Wood walked and scored when Cassie Smith laid down a sacrifice bunt in the first, and Maddie Hickman scored on a passed ball to make it 2-0. The Bulldogs then exploded for five runs in the second. Sofia Birkenholz tripled home Shanna Buford, then scored on an Emily Wood RBI single. Maddie Hickman scored on a Cassie Smith single, Katie Pilcher drove in Smith, and Avaree Taylor followed with an RBI single that made it 7-0.
UMSL got one back in the bottom of the second on a Stoltz solo home run, but Truman put it away in the seventh. With two runners on, Shanna Buford launched a three-run home run to left-center to cap the scoring at 10-3.
Madison Kluever earned the win, allowing three earned runs over six innings while striking out five.
Game 1 vs Maryville: Truman 3, Maryville 4
Maryville jumped on Truman early Sunday afternoon, scoring four times in the bottom of the first inning to take control of the opener.
After Kosnoff scored on a wild pitch to make it 1-0, Williamson singled home Lenon, Perales was hit by a pitch to score Ruiz, and a Truman fielding error allowed Wagner to score the fourth run of the inning.
Truman rallied in the third. Jayda Long drove in Kyleia Salyars with a double, Emily Wood tripled Long home, and Katie Pilcher singled in Wood to make it 4-3. That was as close as the Bulldogs would get, however, as Mia Maxel shut down Truman over the final three innings to preserve the Maryville win.
Jayda Long finished strong in relief, allowing no runs on two hits over five innings, but the four-run hole proved too deep to climb out of.
Game 2 vs Maryville: Truman 8, Maryville 1
Truman closed out the season on a high note, winning the finale 8-1 behind a complete-game performance from Madison Kluever.
The Bulldogs got on the board in the second when Kyleia Salyars singled to center, driving in Shanna Buford to make it 1-0. Truman then put up four runs in the third. Riley Redig singled to center and two runs scored, Shanna Buford came around on a Lydia Feiste RBI single, and Kyleia Salyars added another RBI single to push the lead to 5-0.
Shanna Buford provided the knockout blow in the fourth, launching a three-run home run to left field that scored Riley Redig and Madison Kluever, extending the lead to 8-0. Maryville's Kosnoff singled home a run in the fourth for the Saints' only score of the afternoon.
Kluever went the distance, allowing just one earned run on eight hits while striking out four, earning the win in the final game of her career.
Truman finishes the 2025-26 season at 20-32 overall and 12-16 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference.
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