SPRINGFIELD – Missouri State softball (26-16, 16-3 MVC) secured its sixth consecutive Missouri Valley Conference series win with an 11-7 victory over Belmont (23-19, 8-10 MVC) here Saturday afternoon.With the win, the Bears moved to 13-0 at home this season and extended their home win streak to 16 games, dating back to last season.Offensively, Olivia Krehbiel led the way for MSU, turning in a 2-for-3 day at the plate with two home runs and five RBI. McKenzie Vaughan (2-for-3, 2 RBI) and Tess Weakly (1-for-3, RBI) also hit homers, while eight different Bears combined for MSU’s 10 hits. In the circle, Makenzi Swick moved to 4-0 on the season after tossing 2.1 innings in relief and Shelby Houchlei earned her second save of the season as she allowed just two hits in 1.2 innings of work.The sequel to yesterday’s back-and-forth series opener between the Bears and Bruins did not disappoint, with the long ball serving as the star of the show on another windy day at Killian Stadium as the two teams combined for seven home runs.Missouri State got the offense rolling early with as Vaughan launched a two-out solo homer over the wall in left field to give MSU an early 1-0 advantage after an inning in Springfield.Belmont answered immediately with a leadoff solo home run to left field in the top of the second to knot the game at 1-1. After holding MSU scoreless in the second, the Bruins jumped out in front in the top of the third inning with their second home run of the day, this time a two-run shot to left center field.Trailing 3-1 in the third, Missouri State put together an impressive two-out rally to reclaim the lead. Following a fly out and ground out to begin the home half of the third, Abby Ford sparked the rally with a bunt single that led to a stolen base and a Belmont error that advanced the speedy freshman to third base. Another Bruin error allowed Ellie McCoy to reach base safely, scoring Ford to bring MSU back within a run. From there, a walk and another stolen base put runners on second and third for the Bears. Krehbiel walked up to the plate and delivered a no-doubt, three-run home run to left center field on a 2-0 count to put the Bears back in front, 5-3, after three.Swick came on in relief in the fourth inning and retired the Bruins in order as MSU kept the momentum rolling. Weakly served as the spark in the fourth inning as she knocked a solo shot to left center to lead off the inning for Bears. Later in the inning with two outs and a runner on second, Mackenzie Chacon banged an RBI double off the wall in center field, which McCoy followed up with an RBI single up the middle to give the home team an 8-3 lead with four innings in the books. However, this one was far from over.Belmont was not going down without a fight, as the Bruins hit a leadoff double in the fifth and later scored a run on an RBI single through the left side. Missouri State loaded the bases in the bottom of the fifth via a leadoff hit by pitch and a couple of walks, but Belmont worked out of the jam to keep it a four-run game.In the top of the sixth, the Bruins made things very interesting as they put two runners on courtesy of a hit by pitch and a walk with one out on the board. Belmont’s Kaley Varner then knocked a three-run homer on a full count pitch to cut the MSU lead to a single run at 8-7 as the game entered the bottom of the sixth.MSU didn’t waiver as the Bears responded by tacking on three much-needed insurance runs in the home half of the inning. Following a quick out to start the inning, McCoy was hit by the first pitch she saw and scored in the next at-bat as Vaughan sent a laser down the left field line for an RBI double. Krehbiel once again strolled to the plate with a runner on and delivered the final blow, slugging a two-run homer to right center field to extend the Bears lead to 11-7 heading to the final inning.Houchlei went back to work in the circle in relief, forcing a ground out to open the seventh. After a one-out single through the right side, shortstop Kenzie Derryberry turned a double play to end the game and secure the series for the Bears with an 11-7 victory.The Bears and Bruins will close out the series tomorrow (April 23) with first pitch set for 12 p.m. CT at Killian Stadium.
