PINEVILLE, La,- The Missouri Baptist softball team kicked off its season with the Louisiana Christian Invitational on Friday, Feb. 3. The Spartans ended the weekend with a 3-1 record.

In game one of the LCU Invitational, Missouri Baptist softball took on Blue Mountain Christian. Offense was dialed in during the game with seven runs from six different batters. In the first inning Madalyn Bone got things started for the Spartans with a double down the left field line. Sievers hit a single bringing Bone to scoring position where Natalie Archer was able to bring her on in. In the top of the third, Sievers was back on base as she was walked by the pitcher and then proceeded to steal second. Archer was back up to bat, where she hit a double to right center earning her second RBI with Sievers scoring.

 In the fourth inning, the Spartans earned two more runs from Meghan Hager hitting a double to left center allowing Abagail Cafolla and Allison Leigraf to score. The Toppers were finally able to cut into the 4-0 lead the Spartans held with a single at the bottom of the fourth bringing in a runner of their own. The Spartans were able to close out the game with three more runs in the seventh inning. After a single from Archer, Sievers once again was able to score. Kolby Brake then stepped up to bat where she homered over the left field side, bringing in Archer with her.  Blue Mountain was able to put up another point in the seventh and the Spartans answered with a double play ending the game.

The second game of the day, MBU took on LSU Alexandria. The Spartans put up their first point of the game in the first inning with a sacrificial fly by Archer, brining in Hager. The team scored once again in the second, after Brake made it on base with a walk and scored thanks to a single by Ellie Wessel. LSU-A responded with two runs in the bottom of the second, tying the game.
The Spartans were able to pull ahead in the top of the fifth. After Bone made it to first, Jenna Achs came in to pinch run. Sievers then stepped up to the plate and hit a home run bringing the score 4-2. The rest of the game went with neither team able to score and the win going to the Spartans.

The second day of the Invitational, the Spartans faced off against the hosts, Louisiana Christian. The first three innings both teams remained scoreless. With Bone on second and Sievers at first, Archer hit a double to left field, and Bone was able to make it home. Brake followed up with a double of her own with both Sievers and Bass scoring. The Wildcats then proceeded to take over the game, scoring four points of their own in the fifth and sixth innings. The Spartans weren't able to make up the difference in the seventh and the game ended with LCU winning 4-3.

The final game of the day was once again against LCU and the Spartans were looking to settle the score. With Hager on second after stealing, Bone stepped up to the plate and hit a single to third. With a wayward throw by the third base player, Hager was able to safely make it home and Bone advanced to second Third base made a second error during the inning, allowing Bone to score. In the third inning, Bone once again scored on a single by Molly McPheeters making it through to the right field. Leigraf followed up with a sacrificial fly, bringing in Sievers. Starting off the fifth inning, Sievers earned her second homerun of the weekend, bringing the score to 5-0. With Hager scoring in the bottom of the sixth, the Spartans entered into the final inning, 6-0. With the Wildcats unable to earn a run, the Spartans were able to get their revenge from the earlier game against LCU and Alexandria Cafolla earned her first shut-out of the season.

The Spartans will have their home opener, this coming Saturday (Feb. 11) with a double header against Saint Xavier University starting at noon.