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The Truman softball team picked up a split in its 2013 MIAA-opening doubleheader against Lindenwood (Mo.) on Wednesday afternoon – winning game one 3-1 before dropping the nightcap 8-7 in eight innings.

Junior pitcher Hannah Washburn (Keokuk, Iowa) was nearly untouchable in the opener, tossing a complete-game six-hitter, striking out 12 and allowing a single earned run in the 3-1 Bulldog victory.

Truman scored a single run in the third off a Liz Leath (St. Charles, Mo.) single before Kristin Grossman (Glen Ellyn, Ill.) bought insurance in the sixth by driving home pinch-runner Nikki Moss (Kansas City, Mo.) and Ally McReynolds (Wildwood, Mo.) 

 Leath reached base all three times at the plate with a pair of hits and a walk, while five other ’Dogs added a base-knock.

In game two, the Bulldogs fell behind 1-0 in the first but put together a two-out rally in the second to take a 4-1 lead.

 Truman received four straight singles with two down, as Corey Niblett (Troy, Mo.), Kelsey Bollman (Maquoketa, Iowa) and Laura Miller (Columbia, Mo.) all notched RBIs to stake the purple and white to an early lead.

The Lions, however, would chip away, scoring single runs in the third, fourth and sixth innings to tie the game at four before Truman got three in the top of the seventh to carry a 7-4 lead. However, with two outs in the bottom half, the Bulldogs committed an error, opening the door for two straight RBI singles to send the game to extra innings tied at 7-all.

After the Bulldogs were shut out in the top half, LWU made quick work in the bottom, as the placed runner stole third, then scored on a walkoff single as the Bulldogs had to settle for a split. Miller had two hits to pace the Bulldog attack, while starter Kindra Henze (Palmyra, Mo.) and reliever Kirsten Krause (St. Louis, Mo.) were victims of five unearned runs in the loss.

Truman (10-4, 1-1 MIAA) is scheduled to return to action this Saturday with its home opener against Upper Iowa at 1:00 pm.

Courtesy Truman State University