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Katie Gray launched a ball over the fence in Game 1 of Saturday's doubleheader against Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, making her the new single-season home run record holder with 12 in 2025. There are still 15 games left to be played.
Gray helped the Lions to an 8-4 extra-inning victory in the opener with the RiverHawks. She drove in four runs in the game. In Game 2, she drove in another run and again helped on offense in a 5-1 win.
MSSU is now 27-11 overall, 7-3 in MIAA play.
The power hitting junior is now just six home runs away from another MSSU record. The career mark is 28, held by Dawn Grass from 2010 to 2014. She surpassed the highest mark in a season previously held by Sarah Williams in 2016 and Leighton Withers, who tied it in 2023.
Gray, a native of Lansing, Kansas, is now at 22 home runs in her career.
She also moved her runs-batted-in total this season to 51. That puts her just four shy of Myranda Stewart's record-setting 55 RBIs in 2017. The right-handed slugger isn't far from yet another program mark at Southern.
Diane Miller, who played from 1989 to 1992, notched 134 RBIs as a Lion, and Gray is just 27 behind her after moving up to 107 Saturday.
Game 1
MSSU led 3-1 after the first inning of play and starting pitcher Kiki Pickens settled in. She went into the seventh with a 4-1 lead.
But a throwing error by catcher Easton Walter allowed Korynn Tindel to steal third and score on the play to make it 4-2. NSU's first two runs were unearned.
But the inning continued and Madison Nance drove a pitch over the fence for a two-run home run to tie the game.
In the eighth, Emma Mason led off with a double for the Lions. Walter followed her with a single and then Peyton Hawkins was hit by a pitch on an 0-2 count to load the bases.
Taylor Knuckolls drew a walk and MSSU had its lead back. Bailey Dillon flew out to left field. Kylee Jacks grounded out to second base and got a run across to make it 6-4 with two outs.
That's when Gray singled through the left side to drive in two and make it 8-4.
Lauren Fuller threw a quick 11-pitch eighth inning and got three ground outs to seal the win. Pickens picked up the win on record and improved to 13-4 on the year.
Game 2
Southern scored two runs in the third and three in the sixth as it watched Avery Tallman dominate in the circle all game long. The 6-foot-1 senior right-hander from Owasso, Oklahoma, allowed six hits and walked just one batter as NSU (11-25, 5-11 MIAA) only scored one run.
Tallman also picked up four strikeouts on the way to earning the win and moving her record to 11-4.
The Lions benefitted from two NSU errors leading to three unearned runs in this one.
Dillon, Kate Thurman and Hawkins each recorded two hits. Hawkins drove in a run with a double down the left field line in the sixth inning to make it 3-0. Cady Dickey was 1 for 1 in the game and she singled in two runs in the sixth when she pinch hit for Gray.
Up Next
MSSU returns home next weekend to host Missouri Western (19-14, 7-7 MIAA) and Northwest Missouri (15-20, 5-9 MIAA) on Friday and Saturday, respectively.
Continue reading...
Gray helped the Lions to an 8-4 extra-inning victory in the opener with the RiverHawks. She drove in four runs in the game. In Game 2, she drove in another run and again helped on offense in a 5-1 win.
MSSU is now 27-11 overall, 7-3 in MIAA play.
The power hitting junior is now just six home runs away from another MSSU record. The career mark is 28, held by Dawn Grass from 2010 to 2014. She surpassed the highest mark in a season previously held by Sarah Williams in 2016 and Leighton Withers, who tied it in 2023.
Gray, a native of Lansing, Kansas, is now at 22 home runs in her career.
She also moved her runs-batted-in total this season to 51. That puts her just four shy of Myranda Stewart's record-setting 55 RBIs in 2017. The right-handed slugger isn't far from yet another program mark at Southern.
Diane Miller, who played from 1989 to 1992, notched 134 RBIs as a Lion, and Gray is just 27 behind her after moving up to 107 Saturday.
Game 1
MSSU led 3-1 after the first inning of play and starting pitcher Kiki Pickens settled in. She went into the seventh with a 4-1 lead.
But a throwing error by catcher Easton Walter allowed Korynn Tindel to steal third and score on the play to make it 4-2. NSU's first two runs were unearned.
But the inning continued and Madison Nance drove a pitch over the fence for a two-run home run to tie the game.
In the eighth, Emma Mason led off with a double for the Lions. Walter followed her with a single and then Peyton Hawkins was hit by a pitch on an 0-2 count to load the bases.
Taylor Knuckolls drew a walk and MSSU had its lead back. Bailey Dillon flew out to left field. Kylee Jacks grounded out to second base and got a run across to make it 6-4 with two outs.
That's when Gray singled through the left side to drive in two and make it 8-4.
Lauren Fuller threw a quick 11-pitch eighth inning and got three ground outs to seal the win. Pickens picked up the win on record and improved to 13-4 on the year.
Game 2
Southern scored two runs in the third and three in the sixth as it watched Avery Tallman dominate in the circle all game long. The 6-foot-1 senior right-hander from Owasso, Oklahoma, allowed six hits and walked just one batter as NSU (11-25, 5-11 MIAA) only scored one run.
Tallman also picked up four strikeouts on the way to earning the win and moving her record to 11-4.
The Lions benefitted from two NSU errors leading to three unearned runs in this one.
Dillon, Kate Thurman and Hawkins each recorded two hits. Hawkins drove in a run with a double down the left field line in the sixth inning to make it 3-0. Cady Dickey was 1 for 1 in the game and she singled in two runs in the sixth when she pinch hit for Gray.
Up Next
MSSU returns home next weekend to host Missouri Western (19-14, 7-7 MIAA) and Northwest Missouri (15-20, 5-9 MIAA) on Friday and Saturday, respectively.
Continue reading...
