Western Softball Falls in Opening Round of NCAA Regionals

Mankato, Minn. _ The Missouri Western softball team dropped its first game at the 2007 NCAA Division II North Central Regional Softball Tournament Thursday evening. Western suffered a 4-1 defeat at the hands of the No. 5 team in the country, the Mavericks of Minnesota State at Caswell Park. The Griffons are now 33-25 overall and will play Winona State in the consolation bracket at 12:30 p.m. on Friday, May 11. Western and Mankato were tied at 1-1 heading into the top half of the 6th inning until the Mavericks hit back-to-back home runs off of Griffon starter Lindsey Predovich to move to a 3-1 lead. Western allowed a single run in the bottom of the 6th inning for the final margin. Western had six hits in the game, two by Predovich and one each by Carrie Christensen, Shannon Pivovar, Amanda Nocita and Megan Sova. The Griffons scored its lone run on two MSU throwing errors in the 3rd inning.