Owls softball sweeps Blue Jays in SLIAC opener

Mississippi University for Women’s softball team opened its St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference schedule with a doubleheader sweep of Westminster College at Don Usher Field. The Owls took the first game 3-0 and the second 8-5.

In the opening game, freshman pitcher Trinity Garvin earned her first collegiate shutout, allowing only two singles over seven innings. She struck out two and did not walk a batter. Westminster’s Madison Plybon matched her through five scoreless innings before the Owls broke through in the sixth. Kaylee Crawford led off with a hit-by-pitch, and Lynnzie Kennedy pinch ran. Brooklyn Rhodes then tripled to right, scoring Kennedy. The Owls added two more runs in the inning on RBI singles from Garvin and catcher MC Brown.

In the second game, Westminster scored three runs in the first inning against MUW starter Phallyn Clark. The Owls responded with two runs in the bottom of the first, thanks to an RBI single from Crawford and a double from Rhodes. Westminster pushed its lead to 5-2 in the third, but Clark, who allowed five runs, only one earned, was replaced by Rhodes. Rhodes finished with four innings of one-hit, no-run relief, striking out five.

The Owls rallied in the seventh inning. Addison Owen singled, and Crawford drew a walk. Rhodes then singled to load the bases. Garvin delivered a two-run single, tying the game at 5-5. Brown followed with a three-run walk-off homer, the first of her college career. Brown called it a memorable moment after returning from a six-year softball break. “This was a great way to come out of ‘retirement’,” she said. “That one swing meant nothing if it wouldn’t have been for every single person in the lineup doing their job, especially in that last inning. I’m proud of this team.”

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