March 31, 2015 Box Score
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - Senior pitcher Chelsea Jones fired a four-hit shutout and freshman Chelsea Thomas hit her ninth home run of the season as the Missouri State softball team (17-17) rallied for a 4-0 win in game two of a doubleheader against visiting Southeast Missouri State (6-18) on Tuesday at Killian Stadium. MSU was on the wrong end of a 8-4 score in game one versus the Redhawks.
"She (Chelsea Jones) shut down a pretty good hitting team with five starters in their lineup hitting over .300," said head coach Holly Hesse. "That is an extremely good effort to throw a complete game shutout against their offense. We needed everybody to step up and it was good to see that day."
Freshman Erika Velasquez Zimmer led a group of six MSU players with multiple hits on the day with a 4-for-7 performance over the doubleheader. She had a double and a triple among her four hits while driving home two and scoring another.
Sophomore Elena Gambill had three hits in game one to tie a season and career high. Senior Rebecca McPherson hit her sixth home run of the season and drove in two runs.
The Bears turned three double plays on the day, all involving second baseman Olivia Roark. That gives MSU a league-best 20 on the year, the most since the Bears turned 20 in the 2006 season.
Game 1 - Missouri State 4, SEMO 8
The Redhawks put up single runs in the first and second inning and added two more in the third to put the Bears in a 4-0 hole.
Mary Stephens began the Bears' first inning with a walk. Erin Duewel walked in the second inning followed by Gambill's first hit of the game. The Bears were not able to push home a run in either frame.
Velasquez Zimmer and McPherson had back-to-back two-out singles in the third, but again MSU was not able to turn the rally into a run.
In the fourth inning, the Bears loaded the bases on a single by Gambill, a walk by Braxton Coil and an infield hit by Roark. A fielder's choice ground out, however, kept MSU off the board.
The Bears broke through in the fifth inning. Velasquez Zimmer hit her first career triple to begin the frame. McPherson drove her in with a sacrifice fly to left to get Missouri State a tally.
After SEMO got an unearned run in the sixth, the Bears got back to work. Gambill singled to left to begin the inning. She was replaced at first by Coil on a fielder's choice. Stephens singled to right to continue the inning. Coil and pinch runner Ali Trickey scored on Velasquez Zimmer's double to right-center to cut the deficit to 5-3.
SEMO put three runs on the board in the top of the seventh to extend the Redhawks' lead to 8-3. McPherson drilled a home run to left on the first pitch in the bottom of the seventh, but that was all the offense MSU could muster in the inning.
Missouri State had at least one base runner in every inning of game one. Starting pitcher Erin Struemph struck out four and reliever Kaitlin Beason struck out one in 4.0 innings of work without a walk.
Game 2 - Missouri State 4, SEMO 0
McPherson got a two-out rally started with a walk in the first inning. She stole second and came in to score on Chelsea Jones' single to right-center as the Bears went up 1-0.
Thomas hit a leadoff home run in the second inning. She crushed a 3-1 pitch deep to center for her ninth of the year.
Thomas began the Bears' fourth inning by drawing a walk. She moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Gambill. Pinch runner Sara Jones crossed the plate as Molly Fields doubled into the left field corner to build the Bears' lead to 3-0.
Chelsea Jones walked to begin the bottom of the fifth. She moved all-the-way to third on a sacrifice bunt by Beason. Thomas drove her in with a single to left and the Bears were on their way to a 4-0 win.
Starting pitcher Chelsea Jones scattered four hits while striking out four. It was her second complete game shutout of the season.
The Bears home stand continues on Friday with a 12:00 p.m. doubleheader versus Evansville to begin a three-game weekend series. The home stand concludes with Legacy Day and Rally for Allie weekend against Loyola on April 11-12.
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