Your online home for Joplin area sports coverage.

COLLEGE SOFTBALL: PSU falls in twinbill to Fort Hays State

PITTSBURG – The Pittsburg State softball team dropped two games to Fort Hays State in MIAA action Friday, 7-1, 5-1.

In the first game of the doubleheader, the Gorillas struggled at the plate only racking up six hits in the contest. The Gorillas were held scoreless in the contest until the sixth innings. A few Tiger errors allowed the Gorillas to plate its first run of the game. The Tigers on the other hand hit well at the plate scoring two runs in the first and followed up with three more runs in the third. A two run bottom of the 5th for Fort Hayes gave the game its final score of 7-1.

Senior Kaylee Burns was credited with the loss moving her season record to 4-7.

The Gorillas continued to struggle in game two of the doubleheader not scoring until the sixth. In the same amount of time the Tigers were able to plate five runs. A single by Bella Konieczka in the sixth scored the Gorillas sole run of the game and gave the game its final score of 5-1.

Junior Taylor Compton was credited with the loss moving her season record to 3-4.

The Gorillas will be back in action Saturday to take on Nebraska-Kearney. First pitch is set for Noon with game two to follow.

COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL: PSU snaps skid with win over Newman

PITTSBURG, Kan. – The Pittsburg State volleyball team snapped a three-game losing streak after beating Newman in five sets 3-2.

The Gorillas took the first set from the Jets, 25-16. The Gorillas struggled the next two sets falling 18-25 in set two and 16-25 in set three. The Gorillas bounced back in the fourth and five sets taking the sets 25-10 and 15-13.

The Gorillas will be back in action Saturday in Pittsburg to take on Central Oklahoma. The match is set for 2 p.m. in John Lance Arena.

COLLEGE BASEBALL: Pittsburg State hands Rogers State 3-1 loss

CLAREMORE, Okla. — The Pittsburg State baseball team claimed a 3-1 victory over Rogers State in the opening game of its MIAA series against the Hillcats Friday (Apr. 2).

The Gorillas (13-7, 10-6 MIAA) broke open a scoreless game with single runs in the sixth, eighth and ninth innings, building a 3-0 lead before settling for the two-run victory.

David Henderson (5-1) tossed 7.0 shutout innings, scattering three hits and a walk and registering five strikeouts. Justin Root tossed a scoreless eighth inning and Dawson Pomeroy recorded his second save of the season by working the ninth.

Cruz Aranda and Aaron Gerdes had two hits apiece to pace the Pitt State offense. Cruz and Pomeroy had Pitt State’s RBIs in the contest. Gerdes, Ryan Koval and Brett Daley all scored runs for the Gorillas.

Pitt State and Rogers State (12-8, 9-7 MIAA) will wrap up the series with a 1 p.m. doubleheader on Saturday.

PREP SOFTBALL: College Heights suffers first loss in pitcher’s duel with East Newton

GRANDBY, Mo. — East Newton scored three runs in the top of the sixth inning to earn a 3-1 win in a pitcher’s duel against College Heights on Friday.

The loss was the first of the season for College Heights, as the Cougars are 5-1 to start the year.

Neither team mustered much offense through the first five innings with the Patriots’ Katie Kester and Cougars’ Maddy Colin both dealing in the circle.

East Newton broke through in the bottom of the sixth when Kenzie Massey doubled home Kayla Higginbotham on a liner to center. Makenna Braiser followed with an RBI single to center to score Massey and pushed the East Newton lead to 2-0. Alexa Harris hit a two-out, two-run double to left later in the frame to wrap the scoring.

Layne Jackson singled with a runner on for College Heights to start the seventh. After a fielder’s choice out, Sarah Painter brought home Good with a sac fly to center to trim the deficit to 3-1. Kester earned a strikeout and a groundout to end the threat and the game.

Kester earned the win after allowing one run on one hit, no walks and 10 strikeouts in a complete seven innings.

Colin was saddled with the loss after allowing three runs, two earned, on seven hits and nine strikeouts in six complete innings.

Alexa Harris-Smith, who doubled, Higginbotham and Braiser each had two hits for East Newton. Massey and Harris also doubled. Massey, Braiser and Harris-Schmidt each had an RBI.

Jackson had CHC’s lone hit, while Painter had the lone RBI.

College Heights hosts Miller at 5 p.m. on Monday.