FULTON, Mo. – The W softball team made a bit of program history by winning its first-ever game in a St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SLIAC) tournament, by knocking off Westminster College, 8-2, in its quarterfinal contest. The No. 3-seeded Owls (24-15) - appearing in the SLIAC post-season for the second-consecutive year - dispatched of the No. 6-seeded Blue Jays (13-26), to earn a date versus No. 2-seed Greenville University on Thursday (May 8/5:30 p.m. CT) in Louisville, Kentucky, in the semifinal round of the double-elimination finals.
 
MUW outhit Westminster by a 10-to-6 count, flexing its muscles in doing so. Half of The W's hits were of the extra-base variety, with four doubles and a home run.
 
Thirdbaseman Chloe McClain led the attack by going 2-for-2, with a two-run double in the second that gave the Owls the first runs of the game. McClain also drew a bases-loaded walk to open scoring in MUW's five-run fifth inning.
 
The W upped its early lead to 3-0 in the bottom of the third on a solo home run by freshman Brooklyn Rhodes (1-3). Rhodes' homer, her fourth of 2025, would prove to be the deciding RBI of the game.
 
After the Blue Jays plated a run in the top of the fifth, the Owls went to work. McClain's walk made it 4-1 and pinch-hitter Ashton Farnell (1-1) smacked a base-clearing double down the leftfield line that upped that to 7-1. Anna Sandlin (1-3) then traded places with Farnell by doubling to right-center field, 8-1.
 
Westminster added a run in the top of the sixth for the 8-2 final score.
 
Emilee Slade (1-3) had MUW's other double in the game.
 
Senior pitcher Avery Byerley (8-2) went the distance for her team-best ninth complete game of the season. Byerly allowed six hits and struck out three, with no walks.