March 12, 2016 Box Score
LAWRENCE, Kan. -- Big innings and controversy spoiled the final day of the Jayhawk Invitational for the Missouri State softball team (10-12) in a pair of losses on Saturday. MSU dropped the morning game to Northern Iowa (19-8) by a narrow 4-2 margin. In the nightcap, Omaha (10-14) used two big innings to get past the Bears, 15-4, in five innings.
Sophomore Kaitlin Beason hit her team-leading four home run of the season and drove in three runs on the day. In the circle, she had a career-high four strikeouts in a complete-game effort against the Panthers.
"I thought we competed really well in four out of the five games this weekend," said head coach Holly Hesse. "It was a great battle with UNI and I was proud of our fight. It was good to see us answer and stay in the game after UNO's first big inning."
Game 1 -- Missouri State 2, Northern Iowa 4
Madison Jones led off the first inning with a triple down the right field line. With two away in the inning, she scored on a wild pitch to put the Bears in front 1-0.
The Panthers pieced together three hits in the second inning and scored the tying run. In the fourth inning, UNI turned a leadoff single into the go-ahead run on a sacrifice fly.
The game remained close until the sixth inning. In the bottom of the sixth, the Bears appeared to be getting out of a jam with runners in scoring position and two outs. A slow grounder to short looked to end the inning, but a collision between the base runner and fielder was called obstruction on the Bears and allowed both runners to come home.
In the seventh inning, Kaitlin Beason tattooed a 1-1 pitch on a line over the left field fence for a solo home run. It was her team-leading fourth long ball of the season.
Beason was the Bears' starting pitcher and tossed her fourth complete game of the year. She struck out a career-best four batters and allowed just a single earned run.
Game 2 -- Missouri State 4, Omaha 15 (5)
The Mavericks hit the first pitch of the game over the left field fence to put MSU behind 1-0. In the fourth inning, UNO put seven runs on the board on seven base hits to make it 8-0.
The Bears responded in the bottom of the fourth. Olivia Roark laced a single down the left field line. Erin Duewel followed with a double to left-center. Beason drilled a single to center plating both runners. Pinch runner Kyana Mason moved all the way around the bases on three UNO wild pitches. In the midst of the inning, Elena Gambill was hit by a pitch and ended up on third in the foray. Molly Fields flew deep to center for a sacrifice fly to make it 8-4.
Three home runs by the Mavericks in the top of the fifth put seven more runs on the board to push the deficit back to eight runs, 15-4.
Pinch hitter Kara Powelson was hit by a pitch with two outs in the bottom of the frame. A deep fly ball was snagged to end the game.
The Bears travel to Oklahoma State on Wednesday before opening the home slate and MVC play on Saturday, March 19 versus Illinois State at 12:00 p.m.
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