TUCSON, ARIZ. – The University of Missouri-St. Louis softball team recorded 20 hits and scored 16 runs on the third and final day of competition at the NFCA DII Lead Off Classic, en route to picking up two wins on Sunday.
 
The Tritons won the Gold Bracket consolation with wins over Midwestern State (4-1) and Colorado Mesa (12-2, five innings) to finish with a 5-1 record on their opening weekend.
 
UMSL returns to the field next Friday-Sunday at the Arkansas-Monticello Tournament in Bentonville, Ark.
 
UMSL 4, Midwestern State 1
The Tritons scored four runs on just five hits, including a two-run single from senior Hannah Wessels in the third inning to extended UMSL's lead to 3-0, while senior Katie Rutledge added a solo homerun in the seventh inning.
 
Senior Brittni Chapman picked up the win in five innings, allowing just one run on eight hits, while striking out four, while junior Hannah Perryman tallied the save in two innings, allowing one hit and striking out three.
 
UMSL 12, Colorado Mesa 2 (5 inn.)
The Tritons racked up 15 hits, including a 4-for-4 performance from sophomore Alex Stupek, who delivered a three-run homerun and a one-run double to finish with five RBIs. Redshirt freshman Rachel Matthies recorded two doubles, recording three RBIs and scoring two runs.
 
Senior Madison Zbaraschuk added two hits and two RBIs, while Rutledge tallied two hits and scored three runs.
 
After a Zbaraschuk sacrifice fly in the first inning, UMSL scored three runs in the second inning and plated five runs on six hits in the third inning to jump out to a 9-0 lead. The final three runs came on Stupek's long ball in the fourth.
 
Perryman tossed the complete game four-hitter, striking out eight.