Missouri State split games in a Missouri Valley Conference doubleheader against Drake, Saturday, at Des Moines, Iowa. The softball Bears won the first game of the twinbill 5-3, before losing the second 8-2 and are now 15-9 and 4-4 in MVC action.

Missouri State scored four runs in the third inning en route to its 5-3 win in the opener. Back-to-Back RBI singles by freshman Christa Gammon and junior Jessie Smith plated juniors Elysha Swider and Brooke Kempker and put the Bears up 2-0. Freshman Tyler Porter’s RBI double scored Gammon. Smith advanced to third on the play, but was thrown out at home when freshman Jenna Schwarck reached on a fielder’s choice. Porter scored on senior Michelle Armentrout’s ground out to second.

Drake scored two runs in the bottom of the fifth against MSU starter Melissa Porche, but the Bears answered with an insurance run in the sixth when Swider homered. Porche pitched 6 1/3 innings of the opener to earn the win. The senior struck out 10 Drake batters and allowed six hits before yielding to sophomore Lauren McGinley in the seventh. The Bulldogs fared better against Porche and the Bears in the second game. Porche (9-6) started, but struggled, walking six and allowing three earned runs and five overall on six hits in four innings of work. McGinley allowed three earned runs in the fifth and sophomore Megan Ramsey worked a scoreless sixth.

Drake scored three runs in the fourth and fifth innings of the second game to break-up a 2-2 game. Smith doubled and scored on Armentrout’s walk in the first, but a potentially big inning for the Bears ended with the bases loaded. The Bulldogs answered in the bottom half of the first with two runs, but MSU tied the game at 2-2 in the fourth on Kempker’s RBI single. Two of the Bulldog’s three runs in the fourth were unearned.

MSU will face Drake in a single game Sunday (March 30) at Noon to wrap-up the weekend series.