ST. LOUIS—MBU Softball had pair of upset bids denied by NAIA No. 22 Freed-Hardeman on Wednesday afternoon. The AMC regular season champion won game one 3-2 in extra innings and game two 2-1.
 
Two of the AMC's top pitchers went toe to toe in game one in Freed's Makenzie Prince and MBU's Baleigh Koester. After the Lady Lions took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first, the Spartans used a walk, a steal, and an error to score Reily Kassay.
 
The score would stay 2-1 all the way until the sixth inning. That's when the Spartans finally recorded their first hit, though Prince did walk six batters. Kassay once again manufactured a run for Missouri Baptist. The freshman singled, advanced to second on an error, and then stole third. After Caitlin McNiff walked, Meagan Elder delivered a two-out sacrifice fly to tie the game.
 
Neither team scored in the seventh so the game went to extra innings. With two outs in the top of the eighth, Annalise Jarnagin homered over the center field wall. Freed-Hardeman held on in the home half to come away with a 3-2 win.
 
The Spartans would draw first blood in game two in the second inning. Cami Meddows singled and came around to score on an RBI single by Miranda Brown. The Lady Lions responded with two in the top of the third, however, and that would be the extent of the scoring.
 
Ally Dunaway and Delissa Dennison combined to hold Freed to two runs on 11 hits. Mallory Spurlock tossed a complete game for the Lady Lions to earn the win.
 
Missouri Baptist finishes the regular season with a record of 29-20 (13-11 AMC). They currently sit in the eighth spot in the AMC standings. Seeding in next week's conference tournament will depend on the result of the series between Park and William Woods on Thursday. For the latest on the postseason bracket, go to amcsportsonline.com.