PITTSBURG – The Pittsburg State University softball team is set to begin a busy week of action with a non conference home doubleheader against the Drury University Panthers on Tuesday (Apr. 7) before resuming MIAA action on the road with a pair of doubleheaders against Northwest Missouri State University and Missouri Western State University.
 
First pitch from the Pittsburg State Softball Complex is set for 3:00 p.m. (CDT) on Tuesday. First pitch from the Bearcat Softball Field on Friday (Apr. 10) is set for 2:00 p.m. (CDT) and on Saturday (Apr. 11) at the Griffon Softball Field at Noon.
 
On the season, Pittsburg State is 35-2 on the season and 9-1 in the MIAA to lead the conference standings. As a team, the Gorillas are hitting .390 with 335 runs scored (9.1) from 404 hits (10.9) and as a pitching staff owns a 2.15 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and a .219 opponent average.
 
Heather Arnett leads the team with a .566 average, 82 hits, 58 runs scored and 33 stolen bases while adding in 35 RBI and 11 doubles. Kadyn Trochim (.462) leads the team with 55 runs driven in from 48 hits, 33 runs scored, 27 walks drawn and 14 doubles. Alleyna Rushing (.430) has collected 52 hits, 44 runs scored, 20 walks drawn, 19 RBI and 15 stolen bases on the season. Lexi Davis (.396) is second on the team with 51 runs driven in and six home runs, adding in 33 runs scored and 13 doubles. Sailor Hall (.375) leads the team with nine home runs with 15 doubles and 34 RBI. Rachael Schlotter (.320) is the final qualified hitter batting above .300 with 25 runs scored, 24 hits, 24 runs driven in and 22 walks drawn so far this season.
 
Emma Crabb (12-1, 1.71 ERA, 0.91 WHIP) in 73.2 innings has struck out a team-high 66 hitters and is holding opponents to a .188 average. Lexi Franklin (10-0, 2.20 ERA, 1.29 WHIP) in 70.0 innings of work has struck out 49 batters while holding opponents to a .233 average. Ava Laurent (8-1, 2.66 ERA, 1.23 WHIP) in 52.2 innings has recorded 48 strikeouts as opponents are hitting .200 against her. Hall (5-0, 2.12 ERA, 1.30 WHIP) in 33.0 innings has struck out 33 hitters as opponents are hitting .290.
 
In the series history against Drury, Pitt State owns a 14-9 advantage overall while being 6-3 in Pittsburg. In the last 10 meetings the two teams have both claimed five wins.
 
This season the Panthers are 15-20 overall, 5-9 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) heading into the week. On the road, Drury is 4-5 with splits against Central Oklahoma, Lincoln, Maryville and McKendree. As a team the Panthers are hitting .262 with 116 runs scored (3.3) from 242 hits (6.9) and as a pitching staffs own a 3.23 ERA, 1.47 WHIP and .256 opponent batting average while striking out 143 batters (4.1).
 
Emma Niemczyk leads the team with a .337 average, 24 runs scored, 10 stolen bases and seven doubles. Claire Nelson (.304) is the other qualified hitter batting above .300 this season while collecting a team-high 31 hits and 18 runs driven in. Reece Anderson (.229) leads the team with three home runs and is second on the team with 15 runs scored and 14 RBI. In the circle, Kaley Adzick (5-7, 1.92 ERA, 1.32 WHIP) leads the team with 91.0 innings of work, striking out 61 hitters while opponents are hitting .236 against her. Jordyn Foley (7-7, 3.36 ERA, 1.45 WHIP) in 81.1 innings has struck out 41 hitters while opponents own a .274 average.

All-time, Northwest Missouri owns a slim 45-43 advantage against the Gorillas dating back to 1980. In Maryville, the Bearcats are 15-8 and overall in the last 10 games are 6-4 against Pitt State.
 
Northwest Missouri will begin the weekend with a 27-10 overall record, 7-5 in the MIAA to be tied for fourth in the league standings. At the Bearcat Softball Field, NWMSU is 5-1 with wins over Minnesota State – Moorhead, Fort Hays State and a split against Central Missouri.
 
As a team, Northwest Missouri is hitting .299 with 228 hits (7.8) and 189 runs scored (5.1) while as a pitching staff owns a 2.97 ERA, 1.37 WHIP and .237 opponent average.
 
Omara Love leads the team with a .374 average with 46 hits and 31 RBI, adding in 24 runs scored and 14 stolen bases. Emma Hague (.366) leads the team with 17 stolen bases while being second for doubles hit with eight. Kaylee Cords (.340) is second on the team for runs driven in (30), hits (36) and home runs (4). Mackenzie Mlnarik (.327) is the final qualified hitter batting above .300 so far this season and leads the team with nine doubles while stealing 15 bases. Alexis Brown (.294) rounds out the members of the team that have stolen double digit bags with 14 in 15 attempts. Jaeleigh Darnell (.284) leads the team with six home runs for 13 RBI. In the circle, Jadyn Streigle (13-3, 1.82 ERA, 1.09 WHIP) in 100.0 innings has struck out 65 hitters while holding opponents to a .218 average. Rien Moore (10-2, 2.75 ERA, 1.38 WHIP) in 86.2 innings of work has struck out a team-high 70 hitters while opponents are hitting .213 against her.
 
In the series history, Pittsburg State owns a 55-52 advantage dating back to 1977. In St. Joseph, Mo., MWSU owns a 17-12 but in the last 10 overall games the Gorillas are 7-3.

Missouri Western enters the weekend with a 24-13 overall record and 5-9 in the MIAA, tied for eighth in the conference standings. This season at the Griffon Softball Field, MWSU is 7-3 with wins over Augustana (S.D.) and Central Missouri while splitting against Minnesota State – Moorhead, Fort Hays State and Nebraska – Kearney.
 
As a team, Missouri Western is hitting .280 with 273 hits (7.4) and 225 runs scored (6.1) while as a pitching staff owns a 3.41 ERA, 1.56 WHIP and .264 opponent average.
 
Kalee Higdon leads the team with a .314 average from 38 hits, scoring 30 runs and stealing 25 bases while adding in eight doubles and 27 RBI. Ayva McComas (.313) and Ashlyn Finarty (.307) are tied for the team lead with 30 runs driven in on the season. Finarty leads the team with 11 home runs, while McComas is tied for the team lead with eight doubles and is second on the team with 36 hits and 27 runs scored. In the circle, Finarty (5-2, 3.26 ERA, 1.48 WHIP) in 58.0 innings of work has struck out 41 hitters while holding opponents to a .252 average. Torie Sandoval (7-4, 3.29 ERA, 1.45 WHIP) in a team-high 76.2 innings of work has struck out 50 batters while holding opponents to a .278 average. Harley Pruetting (9-4, 2.93 ERA, 1.54 WHIP) in a mostly reliever role this season has recorded 69.1 innings of work with a team-high 80 strikeouts and a .243 opponent batting average.