Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 | Box Score 3 Branson, Mo.—
Game One:
Greenville used powerful early hitting in the first inning and a seven-run third to hand the University of Saint Mary softball team an 11-1, five-inning loss Friday in day one of the Branson Showtime Classic

The Spires fell behind early when Greenville's Garrett opened the scoring with a three-run home run to left in the top of the first. Greenville added a solo shot from Cox in the second to make it 4-0, then broke the game open in the third with a seven-run frame that pushed the margin to 11-0.

The Spires limited further damage over the final two innings, holding Greenville scoreless in both the fourth and fifth. The Spires' defense settled in after the third, backing the pitching staff with a clean effort in the field and committing no errors for the game, despite Greenville finishing with 11 runs on 11 hits.

The Spires broke up the shutout in the bottom of the fifth. Jade Juarez came around to score when Riley Wiseman reached on an error by Greenville's right fielder, trimming the deficit to 11-1. The unearned run gave USM a late offensive highlight before the game concluded on the run rule after five innings.

Offensively, the Spires managed two hits and drew one walk against Greenville pitching, which totaled seven strikeouts on the day. While the Spires were limited in the hit column, they left four runners on base and continued to compete late, forcing Greenville to work through a full five innings.

On the other side, Saint Mary's pitching staff was tested by a Greenville lineup that produced three home runs and capitalized on traffic in the early innings. The Spires' staff worked all five innings, throwing 104 pitches with three strikeouts and no walks allowed beyond the single free pass.

Game Two:

An early three-run cushion was unfortunately not enough for the Spires, as Oklahoma City answered with nine straight runs and handed USM a 9-3 loss in seven innings.

Saint Mary struck first with a productive opening frame, capitalizing on an error and timely hitting to grab a quick 3-0 lead in the top of the first. Grace Rose started the scoring with a single before Brianna Camarena and Kylie Vandervoort delivered RBI singles to cap a three-run inning in which all the damage came with pressure on the basepaths. Vandervoort finished the game with two hits, one RBI and a stolen base to pace the Spires' offense.

Oklahoma City responded swiftly in the bottom half of the first. Gibson tripled to ignite the OCU offense, and Rayburn followed with a two-run home run to quickly trim the margin to 3-2. The second inning was a turning point, as Oklahoma City erupted for five runs to seize control. Mollet doubled in a run and Gibson added a two-run single during the rally.

The Stars continued to add on in the third. Ashford doubled home two more runs to extend the advantage to 9-3, a margin that held the rest of the way. Oklahoma City finished with 10 hits, including two doubles, a triple and a home run, while drawing five walks.

After the first inning, the Spires' offense was held in check. Saint Mary totaled seven hits but was kept off the scoreboard over the final six innings despite putting runners on and leaving seven on base. Oklahoma City's pitching staff allowed three unearned runs in the opening frame but settled in to allow no runs the rest of the game, striking out six and limiting extra-base damage.

Defensively, USM played a clean game in the field, committing no errors while Oklahoma City was charged with two. In the circle, Desarae Chavez provided stability in relief, working 4.0 innings and allowing just three hits and two runs with one strikeout and two walks as the Spires kept the game from further widening in the late frames.

Day Two Game One:

On the final day of the classic, USM used a pair of early offensive outbursts and a complete-game effort in the circle from Grace Rose to cruise past the Yellowjackets 11-1 in dominant fashion in five innings on Saturday. The Spires seized control with a five-run second inning, then added four more in the third to invoke the run rule and cap a confidence boosting all-around performance.

Saint Mary struck first in the bottom of the first inning without the benefit of a hit, taking advantage of Yellowjackets miscues. Rose reached on an error by third baseman Beckman, and Raegan McConnell followed with a line drive that was also misplayed, allowing Rose to come around and score the game's opening run. That early pressure set the tone for an offense that would finish with 12 hits, including six doubles.

The decisive stretch came in the second inning, when the Spires sent a surge through the lineup. Vandervoort jump-started the rally with a double to left, and Audrey Spellman followed with a single to center to drive in Vandervoort and make it 2-0. Desarae Chavez kept the momentum going with a double to left to score Spellman, then Rose singled in Chavez as Saint Mary continued to string together quality at-bats. Camarena singled home Brewer, and Wiseman later doubled to bring in McConnell, completing a five-run frame that pushed the lead to 6-0 and put the Yellowjackets on their heels.

The Spires continued to apply pressure in the third. Spellman drew a walk and promptly stole second, one of her two stolen bases on the night, before Chavez drove her in with another double to left. McConnell later came home on a double by Gerling as the Spires piled on four more runs in the inning to stretch the margin to 10-0. The Spires added their final run in the fourth when Solis doubled to right to score Spellman, who finished with three runs scored from the top of the order.

Chavez anchored the middle of the lineup, going 2-for-3 with two doubles, two RBIs and a run scored. McConnell added a 2-for-3 effort with two runs, while the Spires' lineup produced eight RBIs as a group. The Spire squad also played impressively clean defense, finishing the run-rule victory without committing an error while the Yellowjackets were charged with five.

In the circle, Rose turned in a steady, complete-game performance to back the offensive surge. The right-hander worked 5.0 innings, allowing five hits and one earned run with two walks and two strikeouts. The only Yellowjackets damage came in the top of the fourth, when Leake and McCuddin reached ahead of a hit-by-pitch to Beckman, and Headly lifted a sacrifice fly to right to bring in Leake for the visitors' lone run.

Day Two Game Two:

Due to a busy weekend in college athletics, there were no live stats or stream of this weekend's tournament and all uploaded box scores came from the teams themselves and will be updated as soon as we have the information. However, in the Spires final game of the classic, USM battled the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma who is currently ranked top ten in the nation in NAIA and had a 10-4 record coming into day two. Excitingly, the Spires put up a dominant showing and defeated the No. 9 Drovers with a final score of 7-3 to wrap up an overall solid weekend in Branson.

Up next, the Spires will go back to Missouri to face the Columbia College Cougars at Antimi Softball Complex for a double header on Wednesday, March 4^th with games slated for 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.