SPRINGFIELD – Missouri State softball (7-21, 6-2 MVC) earned a pair of wins on Saturday afternoon to sweep the weekend series against Evansville (14-17, 0-6 MVC). The Bears ended game one early with a 9-0 run-rule victory in five innings, before walking off game two, 4-3, in the eighth inning.
Game 1 (5 Innings): Missouri State 9, Evansville 0
Missouri State gained momentum early in the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader. After Evansville got runners on the corners in the top of the second inning but couldn’t push across, the Bears responded in a major way in the home half of the second.
Halle Studer knocked a one-out single up the middle to get things rolling for the Bears, followed by a Brynn Romine single to second base to put runners two runners on. An error by the Purple Aces shortstop loaded the bases for the Bears, and they stayed loaded following a fielder’s choice to get the lead runner at home. MoState was ready to rally with two outs as Taylor Akers knocked in two runs on a single up the middle, before McKenzie Vaughan really broke things open with a three-run homer to left center field to give the Bears a 5-0 lead. Despite an Evansville pitching change, Missouri State wasn’t done yet. Riley Baber sent a single to right center field, Alexis Perales knocked a double over the left fielder’s head and Kenzie Derryberry drove them in with a two-RBI double launched into right center field as MoState posted a seven-run inning to take the lead.
The Bears didn’t allow an Evansville runner to pass first base in the third or fourth innings as they held on to a 7-0 advantage. Despite giving up a double to lead off the top of the fifth inning, the MoState defense shut down the threat with a strike out, pop out and fly out.
Needing just one run to end the game early in the bottom of the fifth, the Bears were up to the task. With one out on the board, Sidney McLaughlin drew a walk after coming as a pinch hitter. Then, with one swing of the bat, Chloe Merced launched a two-run home run over the fence in right center to secure the 9-0, run-rule victory for the Bears.
Eight different Bears had hits in game one, led by Baber who went 2-for-2 with a walk. Meanwhile, four Bears drove in multiple runs in the victory, as Vaughan was the team leader with three RBI. In the circle, Makenzi Swick earned the complete-game shutout as she scattered four hits, struck out two and didn’t allow a free pass.
Game 2 (8 Innings): Missouri State 4, Evansville 3
The final game of the day and of the series need extra innings to decide a winner.
Both squads had early scoring chances in the second inning, but neither could capitalize. Evansville put runners on second and third with one out in the second frame, but Baber and Perales made a great play at home to not allow the lead runner to score and then the MoState defense ended the inning by forcing a ground out. In the home half of the second, Derryberry led the inning off with a double to right center field and Studer walked in the next at-bat. With runners on first and second and no outs, Missouri State then went down in order via a strikeout, a fielder’s choice and a fly out.
Evansville struck first in this one, scoring its first runs of the series in the third inning. The Purples Aces used two singles and a double to push across their first two runs before a MoState error extended the inning. The extra life allowed one more Evansville run to score on a single base before the Bears got out of the inning with a fly out.
After back-to-back 1-2-3 innings for the MoState offense, the Bears finally opened up the scoring in the bottom of the fifth. McLaughlin once again took advantage of a pinch-hit opportunity, knocking a leadoff single to left field and advancing to second an error. A walk and a passed ball put runners on second and third for MoState with no outs recorded. Then, in back-to-back at-bats, Emily Gerardy sent an RBI single up the middle and Merced scored on a passed ball to pull the Bears within a run of tying the game. Later with two outs, Akers stole second base and advanced to third on a throwing error by the catcher to set MoState with another great scoring opportunity. Baber delivered with an RBI single to left field to tie the game at 3-3 after five innings.
Both squads were relatively quiet in the sixth and seventh innings as the game headed into extras in Springfield.
Evansville came extremely close to taking the lead in the top of the eighth. With a runner on first following a single and two outs on the board, the Purple Aces’ Howe sent a rocket off the top of the wall in left field that missed going over the fence by mere inches. However, the MoState defense gunned down the runner trying to score from first with a perfect 7-5-2 relay to end the inning and swing the momentum heavily to the home side.
MoState got right to it in the home half of the eighth as Baber led the inning off with a double to right field. Perales then laid a down a bunt and the Purple Aces tried to get Baber at third, but they couldn’t get her as the Bears ended up with runners on the corners and no outs. Derryberry came to the plate and ended the game with an RBI single through the right side as Missouri State swept the day and the series with a 4-3 walk-off win.
Baber and Derryberry had a couple of hits and an RBI each, and Gerardy added the final RBI. The Bears struck out just once in the contest, while the MoState pitchers struck out seven Purple Aces. Vaughan earned the victory in the circle in relief, but the trio of Missouri State pitchers combined for a solid outing.
UP NEXT: Missouri State will be back at home on Wednesday, March 26 against Kansas City. First pitch for the midweek matchup is set for 5:00 p.m. and the game will stream on ESPN+.
