ST. LOUIS – Missouri Baptist softball used late runs in the sixth inning of both games to secure the non-conference doubleheader sweep of Fontbonne University on Monday afternoon. Following back-to-back losses on the road this weekend, the Spartans got back to their winning ways beginning with a narrow 2-1 victory followed by a 6-3 win to close the day.
 
MBU improved to 19-20 on the season and while the Spartans came up short against Williams Baptist on Saturday, they still secured one of the eight spots in the American Midwest Conference (AMC) Softball Tournament.
 
Game 1 starter Delissa Dennison recorded her 10^th win in the circle this season with yet another impressive performance. Dennison, who is ranked second in the AMC in strikeouts/game, added 9 Griffin batters to the strikeout list. It marked the eighth time this season that she has struck out 8+ opponents in a game.
 
Fontbonne had very few opportunities to get past the hurdle of Dennison's pitching, but found a window in the bottom of the 3^rd. With the bases loaded and one out, Griffins' Maddy Strickland drove in their only run of the game on a SAC fly to center.
 
The Spartans were held scoreless for the first five innings by Fontbonne starting pitcher Diamond Thomas, but finally broke through in the sixth. Designated player Tomi Dublo got things rolling with a double and one at-bat later crossed home plate on a Rachel Galbraith RBI single. With two outs, shortstop Ally Gischer came through in the clutch knocking in the gamewinner on an RBI infield single.
 
Freshman Mackenzie Schweizer came in to pitch in the 7^th, protected the one-run lead and in doing so notched her first career save.
 
In Game 2, the Spartans got on the board much earlier thanks to a Fontbonne fielding error. Both Jordan Corby and Madalyn Bone scored on what began as a SAC bunt and ended in a costly error for the Griffins.
 
With a 2-0 MBU advantage, the two teams jockeyed for the lead in the middle of the game, but Missouri Baptist never surrendered the lead position. On two separate occasions, the Griffins tied the game up – once in the 4^th (2-2) and once in the 5^th (3-3).
 
Much like Game 1, the sixth inning was key for the Spartans. Junior 1B Caitlin McNiff hit her seventh double of the year, followed by a Meagan Elder single to give MBU runners on the corners. McNiff's go-ahead run was stopped short at home plate, but once again, Rachel Galbraith's bat was active in the sixth with an RBI single to bring home pinch runner Cami Meddows. Sydney Engelhart and Reily Kassasy both had two-out RBI singles to increase the Spartan lead to 6-3.
 
Ally Dunaway (6.0 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 3 K) finished off the sixth inning unscathed and locked up win No. 8 on the season. In the final inning, Schweizer came in to close up shop once again. The freshman from Red Bud, Ill. retired all three Fontbonne batters with one strikeout and her second save in as many tries.
 
Prior to the 2019 AMC Softball Tournament, the Spartans will play a make-up doubleheader at home with St. Mary-of-the-Woods on Thursday, April 25 (3:30 & 5:30 p.m.) as well as a make-up doubleheader on the road at Freed-Hardeman on Saturday (start times TBD).