SPRINGFIELD – Missouri State softball (27-16, 17-3 MVC) pushed its win streak to nine games with an 8-5 victory over Belmont (23-20, 8-11 MVC) here Sunday afternoon.
The win secured MSU’s fifth MVC series sweep of the season as the Bears have won six consecutive Valley series. Missouri State also remained undefeated at home this season, moving to 14-0 at Killian Stadium.
Sophomore Kenzie Derryberry led the way for MSU offensively on the afternoon, going 2-for-2 with three RBI and a walk. On her senior day, catcher Alex Boze collected two RBI and a home run. Ellie McCoy also logged a multi-hit day for the Bears, while Olivia Krehbiel went 1-for-2 with an RBI, two walks and two runs scored.
In the circle, Mackenzie Chacon earned the victory and moved to 8-3 on the season with 4.2 innings of work on the day. Shelby Houchlei came on in relief for the second day in a row, tossing 2.1 scoreless innings.
Sunday’s series finale saw another high-scoring affair as MSU jumped out in front early with a two-run first inning. McCoy got things going offensively for the Bears in the bottom of the first with a one-out single through the left side. Two batters later, Krehbiel knocked a two-out RBI double to right center to score the first run, which Derryberry immediately followed up with an RBI single to right field to give the Bears a two-run advantage.
Belmont got a run back and cut the MSU lead in half with a leadoff home run in the top of the second, then the Bruins hit three singles in the top of the third inning to push a run across and tie the game at 2-2.
MSU responded quickly with five runs over the next two innings. McCoy reached on a Belmont fielding error with one out in the bottom of the third to put a runner in scoring position for the Bears. Krehbiel then drew a walk leading to an eventual double steal to put runners at second and third with two outs. Derryberry logged her second RBI of the day with another single to right field to score the first run of the inning. During the next at-bat with runners on the corners, MSU again executed the double steal to put MSU in front, 4-2, after three innings.
Following a 1-2-3 top of the fourth for the Bruins, the Bears kept the pressure on and put up three runs in the home half of the inning. Annie Mueller drew a leadoff walk before Boze made Belmont pay with a two-run homer to left center field, marking her second long ball of the season. With two outs on the board later in the inning, MSU utilized a single and two walks to load the bases for Derryberry, who worked a bases-loaded walk to tally her third RBI of the day and push the Bear lead to 7-2 with four innings in the books.
As was the theme of the weekend, the Bruins weren’t going down without a fight. Belmont led off the inning with a bunt single before quickly putting two outs on the board. However, the Bruins rallied with two outs, hitting two singles and a double to score three runs and cut the MSU lead to 7-5.
After a couple of quiet half innings, the Bears tacked on an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth courtesy of McKenzie Vaughan’s third homer of the weekend, a solo shot to left center, to give MSU a three-run cushion headed to the seventh.
Houchlei, who came on in relief with two outs in the fifth, and the Bear defense closed it out in the seventh inning to secure MSU’s 17th straight win at home, a streak that dates back to last season, with an 8-5 victory.
The Bears will be back in action for their final home game on Wednesday, April 26 against Southern Illinois with first pitch set for 1 p.m. CT.
