Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Rockhurst opened the 2016 softball season with a 1-0 victory over Midwestern State in the NCAA Division II Gulf Coast Invitational Friday in Gulf Shores, Alabama.
Bridgette Sappington shut out Midwestern State on five hits. The junior right-hander struck out three and issued two walks.

Freshman shortstop Lonnie Groves drove in the winning run with a two-out single in the bottom of the second inning. Caroline Lipp opened the inning with a single and stole second before scoring on Groves' hit to center field.

The Hawks loaded the bases with no outs in the sixth on two hits and an error. Midwestern got out of trouble by retiring the next three hitters.

Rockhurst suffered a 7-1 loss to Mobile in its second game of the tournament on Friday. The Hawks scored in the first inning on an RBI single by Emily Truitt. Mobile scored three runs in the fourth and added two runs in the fifth.

The Hawks (1-1) will face Southern Nazarene and Union (Tenn.) on Saturday in Gulf Shores.