May 3, 2016 Box Score
WICHITA, Kan. -- Junior Elena Gambill belted a sixth-inning grand slam to put the Missouri State softball team (19-28, 8-13) ahead, but Wichita State (32-18, 17-5) walked-off with two in the bottom of the seventh for a 5-4 victory on Tuesday.
Sophomore Kaitlin Beason pitched the entire game for the Bears. She held the high-powered Shockers offense in check for much of the game. She struck out one and stranded 11 runners in the game, including two scoreless frames leaving the bases loaded.
"Our team battled really hard against the best team in the league," said head coach Holly Hesse. "It took everything they had to get past us and they pushed us to be better for the weekend. I am really proud of how hard our team is playing right now. It's good to see us hitting the ball with some power."
The Shockers grabbed the early lead with a two-out walk followed by back-to-back hits allowed the first run to cross the plate. Beason clamped down and stranded a pair of runners in scoring position to limit the damage to one run.
WSU added two runs in the second on another two-out rally. A single and a walk came home on a two-out double.
Missouri State got the leadoff batter aboard in the second on Mary Stephens' single up the middle. Darian Frost doubled to left in the third. Leading off the fourth Madison Jones reached on an infield single and Hailee Vigneaux tripled to begin the fifth inning, but MSU could not push home a run in any of those innings.
In the sixth, Olivia Roark began the frame with an infield single and moved to second on an error. Jones drew a walk and Erin Duewel reached on a fielder's choice. Stephens drew a walk to load the bases. Elena Gambill stepped in and drilled the first pitch over the left field fence for her first career grand slam.
Wichita State strung together a pair of hits after a leadoff walk to push home two runs in walk-off fashion for the win.
Missouri State will close out the regular season on Saturday and Sunday with a visit from Indiana State. Games both days will begin at 12:00 p.m. at Killian Stadium. MSU and ISU are tied for the eighth and final spot in next week's MVC Softball Championship entering this weekend's action.
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