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SPRINGFIELD – A five-run, seventh-inning rally by visiting Wichita State propelled the Shockers to a 6-1 win over Missouri State here Tuesday in Missouri Valley Conference softball action.
The Bears (22-20, 10-11 MVC) posted the game’s first run when Sara Jones scrambled home on a ground ball by Mary Stephens. The Shockers got the force out at second on Stephens’ grounder, but when Stephens was called safe on the return throw, Jones wisely took advantage of the distracted WSU defense and made it a 1-0 game.
MSU starter Kaitlin Beason (12-9) cruised through the fifth and two outs in the sixth before Wichita’s Macklin Hitz slammed a solo shot over the left field fence, her seventh home run of the year, to tie the game, 1-1.
That score held until the final frame when WSU got a leadoff hit by Madison Perrigan who was sacrificed into scoring position by Paige Luellen. The next five Shocker hitters reached safely off Beason, including two on walks, to make it a 4-1 game. Beason gave way to freshman right-hander Erin Griesbauer who surrendered a two-run double to Hitz before recording the final two outs of the inning.
Missouri State’s Elena Gambill reached on an infield single to start the bottom of the seventh, but WSU starter Jenni Brooks (4-5) slammed the door with three straight outs, including a strikeout of Allie Alvstad to end the game.
The annual Orange Game at Killian Stadium was established to honor Alvstad, a survivor of Leukemia, and raise money for cancer research through St. Jude’s.
Beason was 2-for-2 with a double and a walk to lead MSU’s offense, which tallied six hits. She also struck out five WSU hitters in 6.1 innings of work.
Wichita State (28-17, 13-7) collected 10 hits – three apiece from leadoff hitter Mackenzie Wright and Hitz, who also drove in three.
Missouri State will look to snap a five-game skid this weekend when it conclude its 2017 home slate with a scheduled three-game series against Drake (23-24, 6-14).
