SHREVEPORT, La. -- Freshman pitcher Natalie Rose made the most of her first start as a Missouri State Bear, turning in a two-hit, complete-game shutout in a 4-0 win over Bryant Saturday (Feb. 7) evening at the Centenary Tournament. With the victory, the MSU softball team earned a split of its two games after falling to host Centenary by a 6-1 score in its first game of the day.
Rose (1-0) surrendered just two singles while overpowering the Bulldogs, striking out 10 batters on the night. The shutout victory was the second in as many days for the Bears’ pitching staff after Lauren McGinley’s six-hitter of Boston College led to a 1-0 MSU win in its tourney opener.
After four scoreless frames at the onset of the contest, the Bears finally broke through against Bryant starter Samantha Houseal (0-4) in the bottom of the fifth. With one out, Brooke Kempker was hit by a pitch and stole second to set up the first scoring threat of the game for Missouri State. Christa Gammon and Jenna Schwark then came through with back-to-back RBI singles to stake Rose to a 2-0 lead.
Missouri State, which evened its record at 2-2, added a pair of insurance runs in the sixth with another one-out rally. Jen Carr’s single to center, and Elysha Swider’s double set the table, but it was an error by Bryant third baseman Kimberly Leonard that allowed both baserunners to cross the plate to make it a four-run game.
Rose took care of the rest, retiring 10 of the last 12 batters she faced, including a 1-2-3 top of the seventh. In all, the Henryetta, Okla., native gave up just one hit from the fourth inning on, and walked just one hitter to help overcome a three-error game from the MSU defense.
Schwark was the star at the plate for the Bears, going 2-for-2 and reaching base in each of her three plate appearances.
The victory helped overshadow a disappointing five-run loss to Centenary earlier in the day. The Ladies got a big day from senior shortstop Emerald Doria, who homered twice and drove in three runs in the first two innings to spark the Ladies’ offense. Her first long ball led off the game, while her second--a two-out, two-run shot--capped a three-run second inning that made it a 4-0 game.
The Ladies would tack on single runs in the third and fourth innings, giving starting pitcher Jessica Bock all she would need to earn the win. The sophomore would fan nine bears and allow just three hits in six scoreless innings.
Freshman Taylor Farley provided the lone bright spot for MSU, blasting her first collegiate home run with two out in the seventh.
McGinley (1-1) suffered the loss for the Bears after allowing four runs on four hits in her two innings of work.
The Bears will conclude tournament play Sunday (Feb. 8) when they take on SIU-Edwardsville at 11:30 a.m.
