MURRAY, Ky. – Missouri State softball (31-19, 21-6 MVC) won its final Missouri Valley Conference series with a 3-2 victory over Murray State (33-20, 17-10 MVC) here Sunday afternoon.
Senior Tess Weakly continued swinging a hot bat on the weekend, going 2-for-3 with two RBI and a double on the day to lead Missouri State. Four other Bears contributed to MSU’s six hits, while Olivia Krehbiel accounted for Missouri State’s other run driven in.
In the circle, Gracie Johnston and Mackenzie Chacon combined to toss a great game. Johnston (12-7) earned the victory after hurling six innings in which she allowed just two earned runs on four hits. Chacon threw one inning, allowing just one hit.
The Racers once again jumped on the Bears early in the game, but Missouri State continued to show its fight in the victory. Murray State collected a couple of one-out hits in the first inning to take a 1-0 lead over the Bears.
After one combined baserunner for both teams reached in the second and third innings, Missouri State roared back and took the lead in the fourth. Ellie McCoy led off the inning by reaching on a Racer error, then with two outs on the board, Krehbiel knocked an RBI single which Weakly immediately followed with an RBI double to left field to give the Bears a 2-1 lead.
Murray State knotted the game in the bottom of the fifth after sending a one-out double down the left field line, before scoring on a two-out single to right field to make it a 2-2 ballgame.
The Bears wasted no time in their response, answering with a run in the top of the sixth. McKenzie Vaughan got things rolling with a one-out single. Two batters later with a runner on second, Weakly delivered her second hit and collected her second RBI of the game with a single over the head of the Murray State second baseman.
Holding on to a 3-2 lead, the Bears allowed just one Racer baserunner over the final two innings to secure the series victory on the final day of the regular season.
Missouri State will head to the MVC Softball Championship next week (May 10-13) as the No. 2 seed. The Bears will play at 4 p.m. CT on Thursday, May 11. MSU’s opponent is to be determined.
