St. Joseph, Mo.  – The Northern State University softball team dropped a pair of regional games on Thursday afternoon to Missouri Western State and Northwest Missouri State from the Missouri Western Hy-Vee Classic.
 
THE QUICK DETAILS
Final Score Game 1 (MWSU): Northern State 4, Missouri Western 6
Final Score Game 2 (NWMSU): Northern State 5, Northwest Missouri State 10
Records: Northern State 8-12, Missouri Western 15-12, Northwest Missouri State 4-11
 
GAME 1 - MWSU
HOW IT HAPPENED

• The two teams were scoreless through the first four frames, before the Wolves broke things open in the top of the third with three runs
• Courtney Sjerven kick started the Northern State rally with a single, scoring Julia Sullwold who reach base via a fielder's choice
• Sara Bendt then tallied a single to center, scoring Sjerven and Jamie Fisher who had singled in the inning
• Missouri Western answered back in the bottom of the third with four runs of their own to gain the lead
• Rachel Reinke knotted the game up in the top half of the fourth, with her third homerun of the season, a blast to left center field
• The Griffons regained the lead in the bottom of the fourth with one run on two hits, and added a run of insurance in the fifth
• NSU tallied four runs on seven hits, without giving up an error
• Jamie Fisher suffered the loss, giving up five earned runs on six hits with three walks

 
NORTHERN STATE STATISTICAL STANDOUTS

• Jamie Fisher: 2-for-3, 1 run, double
• Sara Bendt: 2-for-3, 2 RBI
• Rachel Reinke: 1-for-3, 1 run, 1 RBI, HR

 
GAME 2 - NWMSU
HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Wolves scored first again in game two with four runs in the second and third innings combined
• Scoring in the second for NSU was Emma Terveer (pinch running for Kennady Thompson who single through the left side) and Rachel Reinke (reached on a fielder's choice)
• Kennady Thompson knocked in the two runs for the Wolves in the third on a homerun to left field. Courtney Sjerven scored on the play after singling to left to lead off the inning
• Northwest Missouri State however tied the game at four in the bottom of the third and jumped out to a 9-4 heading into the sixth
• Sara Bendt scored Courtney Sjerven (single through the left side) on a double to right center in the top of the sixth for the Wolves final run of the game
• Northern tallied five runs off ten hits with three errors
• Andrea Cherney suffered the loss, giving up five earned runs on seven hits with two walks

 
NORTHERN STATE STATISTICAL STANDOUTS

• Kennady Thompson : 3-for-4, 2 RBI, 1 run, HR
• Courtney Sjerven: 2-for-4, 2 runs

 
UP NEXT
Northern State returns to the Griffon Softball Field tomorrow afternoon for a 4 p.m. contests versus Missouri Southern.