PITTSBURG, Kan. -- The Pittsburg State softball team will face two conference oppnents and two non-conference in the MSSU Border Battle on Saturday and Sunday (March 9 & 10) in Joplin, Mo. 

The Gorillas will play Upper Iowa at noon and Missouri Western at 2 p.m. on Saturday and Missouri Southern at 2 p.m. and William Jewell at 4 p.m. on Sunday.

Upper Iowa is 7-4 on the year and have played all of their games on the road. The team hits .315 with 94 hits on the year. She have 55 RBI and 60 runs scored. Seven players are hitting .300 or better, led by Rachael Anello who is hitting .406. The Peacock pitchers have a 3.25 ERA. In 72.0 innings they have thrown 48 strikeouts with 16 walks. Brooke Redmond leads the team with a 2.23 ERA and a 4-1 record.

Missouri Western is 11-5 on the season after getting in six games at the Hawaii-Hilo Round Robin two weeks ago. The Griffons hit .305 as a team and have scored 82 runs in 16 games (5.1 runs per game). They have also hit 20 home runs. The team is lead by Sarah Elliott with a .511 batting average. The Griffon pitching staff has a 2.83 ERA and has given up only 42 earned runs in 104.0 innings pitched. They have struck out 94 batters and walked 36. Jackie Bishop leads the staff with a 6-1 record and a 1.74 ERA. 

The host school, MIssouri Southern has an 11-4 record on the young season. This weekend will be the team's first games at home. The Lions have a .298 batting average (131-440). The team has scored 89 runs on the year with 76 RBI. The team has successfully stolen 26 of 34 bases. Shleby Romines leads the team with a .438 batting average. The Lions have a team 3.63 ERA. In 106.0 innings the pitching staff has walked 68 batters and struck out 77. Hannah Cooke has the team's lowest ERA with a 2.62. Hailey Pypes has a 4-1 record.

William Jewell is 4-4 on the year after four games in Tahlequah, Okla. and four in Conway, Ark. The Cardinals hit .308 as a team. Lexy Romus leads six batters hitting above .300 with a .636 batting average. The pitching staff has a 4.37 ERA. Kahli Barrett leads the Cardinals with a 5-0 record and a 2.03 ERA. 

Pitt State is 6-4 on the year after a doubleheader sweep of Newman on Wednesday. The Gorillas hit .324 as a team (99-306) with 54 RBI and 62 runs scored. The team has hit nine home runs, 14 doubles and a triple. Seven players are hitting .300 or more on the season. They are led by Tiffany Brown with a .417 average. Cheslyn Mitchell leads the team with 10 RBI, though Jordan Bradshaw is not far behind with nine. Katelyn Birchfield and Brenna George have each scored 10 runs on the season. The Gorilla pitching staff has a 2.55 ERA. Haleigh Sills leads the team with a 1.66 ERA. She also has a 2-1 record. Kyndel Shleburn also has two wins with a 2-0 record and has recorded 28 of the team's 53 strikeouts on the season.