Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 BOX SCORES
GAME 1 | GAME 2
 
RUSTON, La. – Hot bats and dominant pitching helped the Missouri State softball team run-rule its first two games of the season against Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Incarnate Word at the Louisiana Tech Invitational on Friday, Feb. 10.
 
"We had two really dominating performances today and I'm so excited about how we started this season," head coach Holly Hesse said. "We swung the bat really well and scored early in games. We played almost perfect defense today and we had really strong starts from two of our three pitchers, so we couldn't ask for a better opening day."
 
Game 1 – Missouri State 8, UAPB 0
 
In the first game of the 2017 season, the Missouri State offense shined as the Bears run-ruled Arkansas-Pine Bluff in an 8-0, five-inning shutout. Two outs into the bottom of the first inning, the Bears recorded five hits and five runs to take an early lead over the Golden Lions.
 
In the bottom of the third, sophomore Darian Frost drew a two-out walk, putting Missouri State's first runner of the inning on base. Senior Mary Stephens followed with an RBI double to left-center, bringing in the sixth run of the game and her third RBI of the day. Extending the lead even further was junior Hailee Vigneaux, who reached second base on a throwing error by the UAPB shortstop, trading places with Stephens to make it an 8-0 ball game.
 
Senior Bethany Sullinger put the final nail in the coffin during the fourth inning on an RBI single to center field, bringing in junior Erika Velasquez Zimmer from second. In the run rule, the Bears racked up eight runs off nine hits. Zimmer, Sullinger and Stephens each recorded two hits against UAPB, while three other Bears recorded one hit apiece.
 
Junior Kaitlin Beason earned her first victory of the season, tossing a one-hit shutout against the Golden Lions. The right-hander registered back-to-back strikeouts to start the first inning and recorded two more later in the game for a total of four strikeouts on the day.
 
Game 2 – Missouri State 9, Incarnate Word 1
 
Freshman Erin Griesbauer made her first appearance in a Bear uniform, throwing a complete game against Incarnate Word. The newcomer went six full innings, recording three strikeouts and limiting the Cardinals to just one run in the process of her first collegiate win.
 
Once again, the MSU bats came alive as the Bears recorded nine runs and 10 hits over six innings. Pinch running for Stephens in the top of the second, freshman Darby Joerling was the first to cross the plate for the Bears thanks to a throwing error that scored one and put runners on the corners for Missouri State. Later in the inning, sophomore Kyana Mason made it a 2-0 game after hitting a long sacrifice fly to left field, allowing another MSU runner to reach home plate.
 
Incarnate Word responded in the bottom of the inning, putting plenty of pressure on the Bear defense. After a walk and back-to-back singles, the Cardinals loaded the bases with only one out. Griesbauer produced two routine ground balls, one to Elena Gambill at third base and the other Mason at short, to get out of the jam unscathed.
 
Recording her first hit of the season, junior Madison Jones kicked off the top of the third with a triple over the right fielder's head. With one out, Stephens blasted her first homer of the season over the left-center field wall to extend the Bears' lead to 4-0.
 
Two innings later, the Bears put up three more runs as Vigneaux tattooed a two-RBI single up the middle and Mason scored off an Olivia Roark single to center field. After holding the Cardinals scoreless through five innings, Incarnate Word scored its only run of the game when a double through the right-center gap scored a runner on first base.
 
Stephens brought the Bears home, launching her second two-run homer even farther over the left-center field wall to give the Bears a commanding 9-1 lead to complete the run rule in the sixth inning. The senior finished the day with a perfect 1.000 batting average, four hits, one double, two home runs and seven RBI.
 
Tomorrow afternoon, the Bears are set to play Samford, who advanced to the 2016 NCAA Tournament, and host Louisiana Tech. Missouri State take on the Stamford Bulldogs at 3 p.m. and will take on the Lady Techsters at approximately 5 p.m. For more information on the Missouri State softball team, visit. www.missouristatebears.com.