Feb. 7, 2015 Box Score
RUSTON, La. - The Missouri State softball team (3-1) split a pair of games on day two at the Louisiana Tech Invitational in Ruston, La., on Saturday afternoon. MSU downed UAPB (0-3) by a 5-2 score in the Bears' first game of the day. SIU Edwardsville (3-0) got past the Bears in game two, 3-1.
Senior Rebecca McPherson had three hits on the day. She drove in a run in each game, including her second home run of the season against SIUE.
Three Missouri State hitters recorded their first career hits on the day. Olivia Roark and Hailee Vigneaux had two hits apiece against UAPB. Chelsea Thomas became the second freshman this season to hit a home run for her first career hit.
Kaitlin Beason followed up her powerful offensive display last night with a win in the circle today. She struck out three in her first career start and scattered six hits over six innings pitched.
Missouri State 5, UAPB 2
Erika Velasquez Zimmer led off the bottom of first with a single through the left side. She stole second base, but remained there when the inning ended.
In the second inning, Erin Duewel drew a one-out walk. She advanced to second on a single to left by Hailee Vigneaux, her first career hit. Two batters later, Olivia Roark reached on an infield single, also her first career hit. Velasquez Zimmer followed with another infield single to push home the first run of the game.
Mary Stephens doubled in the third inning to extend her hitting streak to 11 games.
The Bears got back on the board in the fourth. Vigneaux reached on a one-out single. Chelsea Thomas then cranked a two-run home run to left, her first career hit and second freshman this week with a homer as her first hit.
The inning continued with Roark's second hit of the game, a single up the middle. Velasquez Zimmer reached on a fielding error to put two aboard. Madison Jones walked to load the bases and Rebecca McPherson drove in a run with a single. Beason produced another run with an RBI groundout to up the lead to 5-0.
UAPB would get two runs back on a home run in the sixth. Erin Struemph came on in the seventh for the save.
Missouri State 1, SIUE 3
The Cougars pieced together a pair of singles and a sacrifice bunt to push home a run in the bottom of the first.
Elena Gambill draw a walk in the third for the Bears' first base runner. McPherson reached on an infield single in the fourth, but neither inning saw the Bears produce a run.
SIUE tacked on single runs in the fourth and sixth innings to extend the lead to 3-0.
McPherson got the Bears on the board with a lead off solo home run to left. It was her second home run of the season. Three batters later, Chelsea Jones singled to right to bring the tying run to the plate, but MSU couldn't get the late hit it needed.
Starting pitcher Jessie Van Es scattered seven hits over five innings pitched. She struck out one and did not walk a batter in her first start of the season.
The Bears will conclude the weekend in Ruston versus host LA Tech on Sunday at 1:30 p.m. MSU will travel to College Station, Texas next weekend for five games at the Texas A&M Aggie Classic beginning on Friday at 10:00 a.m. against Eastern Michigan.
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