May 9, 2015 Box Score
WICHITA, Kan. - The Missouri State softball team (30-25) saw its season end in the 2015 MVC Softball Championship game with a 9-2 loss to Indiana State (26-29) on Saturday afternoon. It is the first time that the Bears have not prevailed in the title game as the two-seed.
"As I told the team after the game, we finished higher than eight out of nine other team in both the regular season and this tournament," said head coach Holly Hesse. "That is a big jump to make in a year. We were eighth last year and I am really proud of the way this senior class led. We are going to have a great year next year because of it."
The Bears were only able to muster three hits off of eventual Tournament MVP Taylor Lockwood. Erin Duewel hit a home run and Chelsea Jones doubled as two of the hits went for extra bases.
For the second-straight day, the Bears fell behind in the first inning. A leadoff bunt single came around to score on a two-out hit and put the Bears in a 1-0 hole.
Senior Rebecca McPherson drew a two-out walk in the bottom of the first, but was stranded on a deep fly out to end the frame.
Indiana State converted a leadoff walk in the second inning into a run behind a bunt single and a sacrifice fly to push the Bears' deficit to 2-0.
The Sycamores added runs in the fourth and fifth innings. ISU plated four runs in the fourth to bust the game open. In the fifth, they tacked on three more.
In the bottom of the fourth, Chelsea Jones doubled to left-center with one away, the first hit of the game for the Bears. Two batters later, pinch hitter Chelsea Thomas drew a walk, but a line out to third ended to brief rally.
After a two hour and 25 minute rain delay, the Bears showed some life in the sixth. With one away, McPherson singled through the right side. She was replaced at first by Chelsea Jones on a fielder's choice. Erin Duewel ripped a two-run home run off the scoreboard in left field to put the Bears on the board. It was her 11th home run of the season.
Senior Chelsea Jones, sophomore Erin Struemph and redshirt sophomore Mary Stephens were named to the MVC All-Tournament team.
On the season, Missouri State earned 30 wins for the 11th time in program history. The team set school marks in home runs (48), walks (181), saves (10) and double plays turned (22) during the 2015 season.
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