GREENVILLE, Ill. — Missouri Western State University’s softball team split a doubleheader with Greenville University on Saturday, maintaining a share of the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference’s top spot. The Owls (15-12, 10-2 SLIAC) lost the first game 4-0 but responded with a 12-0 run-rule victory in the second game.
In the first game, Greenville’s Sarah Salas pitched nearly a no-hitter, taking a no-hit bid into the seventh inning. With two outs, freshman pitcher Trinity Garvin singled to break up the no-hitter, but Salas completed the shutout. Garvin (5-3) threw a full game, striking out four and walking one.
In game two, sophomore Brooklyn Rhodes (5-5) delivered her best outing of the season. She limited Greenville to four singles, struck out five, and did not walk a batter. Rhodes’s performance recalled her top-tier freshman season in 2025, when she earned a share of the SLIAC’s Freshman of the Year award.
The Owls’ offense featured patience and small-ball tactics. Nine of their 10 hits were singles, and they drew seven walks. MUW scored four runs in the first inning, seven in the third, and one in the fourth, ending the game after five innings. Four Owls had multi-hit games, including Gillion Eaves, Addison Owen, and Brianna Byrd, all going 2-for-4. Owen and Byrd each scored twice, while Eaves drove in two runs. Garvin, serving as the designated player, was 2-for-2 with two runs and an RBI. First baseman Kaylee Crawford had a double and three RBIs, helping build a 4-0 lead early. Shortstop Avery Johnston drew three walks, scored once and had one RBI.
Both teams remain tied for the conference lead with two games remaining in the regular season, highlighting their pitching and offensive efforts in the crucial doubleheader, according to sources.
