NORMAL, Ill. – No. 6 seed Missouri State softball’s (19-32) run in the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament came to an end with a 2-1 loss to No. 2 seed Northern Iowa (33-16).
Head coach Holly Hesse’s career comes to an end after 36 seasons as the leader of the MSU softball program. She finishes her career with a 922-889-2 overall record as the second-winningest head coach in MVC history, and a 413-354-1 career conference record. She collected two MVC regular season championships, six MVC Tournament titles and made six trips to the NCAA Tournament in her illustrious career.
The game was a battle to the very end in a pitcher’s duel that saw the Bears and Panthers combine for just six hits. All the scoring in the contest came off of solo home runs as MSU’s season came to an end for the second consecutive season by just one run.
UNI knocked its first solo homer with one out in the bottom of the first inning to take an early lead. The Panthers then led off the second inning with another solo shot to score what would ultimately be the game winning run.
Missouri State threatened in the third as Emily Chadwick got an infield single to lead things off. After moving over to third via a sacrifice bunt and a passed ball, the Bears hoped to cut into the lead with just one out. Unfortunately, the opportunity slipped away after a strikeout, a walk and a fielder’s choice to end the inning.
The Bears finally broke through in the fourth inning as Annie Mueller launched her 19th home run of the season to cut the deficit in half at 2-1 after four.
After allowing the two solo shots early, Gracie Johnston and the Bears defense kept the Bears in this one as they allowed just two UNI baserunners over the final four innings, neither of which advanced past first base.
MSU’s best chance to even things up came in the top of the sixth with Olivia Krehbiel knocking a leadoff single in her final at-bat as a Bear to try and mount the comeback. A sacrifice bunt and ground out moved Krehbiel over to third before the Panthers intentionally walked Mueller in her final collegiate at-bat. A foul out ended the MSU threat and the Bears went down in order in the seventh, falling 2-1 to end the season.
Krehbiel, Mueller and Chadwick accounted for MSU’s three hits on the afternoon. In her final game as a Bear, Johnston tossed six innings, allowing just two earned runs on three hits while striking out four in a gritty performance.
