Feb. 13, 2016 Box Score
ARLINGTON, Texas -- The Missouri State pitching staff allowed a single earned run over the two games of day two at the UT Arlington Invitational on Saturday evening. That run was the difference as MSU dropped game two to host UT Arlington, 2-1. Missouri State (2-2) powered past Northern Colorado in the Bears' first game, 8-0, in six innings.
"We talk about being resilient and keeping our losing streaks short," said head coach Holly Hesse, "and we did that in a big way. (Erin) Struemph with the first shutout of the season by one of our pitchers was awesome to see. I am just really proud of how this team is competing right now."
Junior Erin Struemph fired the first complete game shutout of the season for MSU. She struck out five and scattered three hits in the win over Northern Colorado.
Senior Jessie Van Es battled tough against the host and took a tough-luck loss despite allowing just a single earned run in 5.1 innings pitched. She struck out three, including the inning ending punch out in the fifth inning to strand the bases loaded.
Madison Jones, Mary Stephens, Bethany Sullinger and Hailee Vigneaux each had two hits on the day. Jones scored twice and drove in a run. Stephens hit her second home run in as many games and drove in two. Sullinger drove in two and scored a run. Vigneaux scored a run in each game and had an RBI.
Game 1 -- Missouri State 8, Northern Colorado 0 (6)
MSU jumped on UNC early in the first. Madison Jones singled to right with one away. Stephens followed with a blast to centerfield, her second home run of the weekend, to put the Bears in front, 2-0. Missouri State loaded the bases on a single by Sullinger, a walk to Kaitlin Beason and a couple of fielder's choices, but UNC was able to hold MSU at two runs in the frame.
Vigneaux led off the MSU second inning with a triple off the wall in right field. Two batters later, Jones singled sharply up the middle to drive her in and up the lead to 3-0.
In the MSU fourth inning, Erika Velasquez Zimmer led off with a walk. After she stole second, Jones drew a walk. Two batters later, Sullinger tripled to right-center driving home both runs and chasing the UNC starting pitcher. The Bears wrangled four-consecutive walks from the UNC reliever and pushed the lead to 7-0.
Allie Alvstad made her season debut in the fifth inning. She pinch hit and drew a four-pitch walk.
Erin Duewel drew a leadoff walk in the sixth inning. After Braxton Coil drew MSU's 12th walk of the game, both runners moved into scoring position on a ground out to the right side. A passed ball allowed the walk-off run to score and give MSU an 8-0 win in six innings. The 12 walks were one shy of a single game school record.
Game 2 -- Missouri State 1, UT Arlington 2
Vigneaux led off the Bears' third inning with a double down the left field line. She advanced to third on a Molly Fields sacrifice bunt. Two batters later, Velasquez Zimmer roped a single up the middle to give MSU a 1-0 advantage.
The Mavericks pieced together three-consecutive two-out singles in the bottom of the fourth inning and pushed home an unearned run to tie the game at 1-1.
Madison Jones was hit by a pitch with two away in the fifth inning. Stephens followed with a walk. Sullinger followed and grounded to third base, but the initial ruling was a safe call at first allowing the go-ahead run to score. Afterward, the umpired got together and reversed the call wiping the run off the board.
UTA turned a leadoff walk into the winning run without hitting a ball out of the infield. MSU reliever Beason came on and held the Mavericks at one run in the inning, stranding the bases loaded.
The Bears had one last chance to tie the game. Elena Gambill was drilled with a pitch with one down in the seventh. Two batters later, Beason drove the ball into the right-center gap, but the UTA centerfielder made a nice running grab to end the game.
Missouri State will play Northern Colorado again at 8:00 a.m. on Sunday to wrap the weekend in Texas. The Bears travel to Bowling Green, Ky., next weekend for five games at the Holiday Inn Hilltopper Classic.
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