Feb. 25, 2012

Box Score

The Missouri State softball team (4-2) closed out day two at the Blues City Classic in Memphis, Tenn., on Saturday evening with their second win over a team nicknamed the Redhawks. The Bears defeated Southeast Missouri State (4-6) by a 4-1 margin.

Freshman pitcher Chelsea Jones threw a complete game allowed just one run on seven hits. She struck out four Redhawks hitters while issuing just one free pass.

Kirstin Cutter led the Bears with two hits and two runs scored. Ashley Brentz continued her scorching start with a 1-for-3 outing with a pair of RBIs.

The Bears wasted no time getting the lead. Cutter led off the bottom of the first inning with a sharp single off the third baseman. Brentz walked and Jones reached on a fielder's choice to load the bases. Freshman Erin Duewel grounded to short to drive in Cutter to give the Bears a 1-0 lead.

Missouri State continued to build upon the lead in the second inning. Heather Duckworth was hit by a pitch and Raeven Replogle reached after a fielding error on her sacrifice bunt. Brentz laced a single to left field to plate the first run of the inning. Rebecca McPherson followed with a deep sacrifice fly to center to score the second run for the Bears to up the lead to 3-0.

MSU added to the lead in the fourth inning. Cutter dropped a bunt down the third base line and advanced all the way to third base on an overthrow error. Cutter scored with a nice slide at the plate on a fielder choice grounder by Brentz. The Bears headed to the fifth inning ahead, 4-0.

The Redhawks got a run back in the top of the sixth inning. SEMO got a leadoff double from Taylor Cowan. She advanced to third and then scored on a groundout to second base.

Missouri State wraps up the weekend at the Blues City Classic on Sunday versus Western Illinois (11:00 a.m.) and host Memphis (1:00 p.m.).