Box Score  
STILLWATER, Okla. – In the Missouri State softball team's second 10-hit game of the week, a four-run sixth inning lifted the Bears over Oklahoma State, 7-3, Thursday evening at Cowgirl Stadium.
 
"Tonight we were awesome," head coach Holly Hesse said. "Any time you beat a team in the Big 12, it's a big-time confidence booster. We have consistently played well in all three areas of the game throughout the non-conference schedule.
 
"Our pitching was phenomenal against a really good hitting team and we were solid on defense. I couldn't be any more proud of this team and how well they are playing heading into conference."
 
Scoring first in its seventh consecutive contest, the Bears jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first inning. Junior Erika Velasquez Zimmer led off the inning with a bunt and immediately stole her ninth base of the season. The following at-bat, an error on a sacrifice bunt put runners on the corners for Bethany Sullinger. The senior notched an RBI ground out and was followed up by a Mary Stephens single through the right side, giving the Bears a 2-0 advantage.
 
Answering in the bottom frame, OSU drew a two-out walk after MSU starter Kaitlin Beason recorded back-to-back strikeouts to start the inning. Sending a stand-up double off the left field wall, Kristin Reasnor drove in a Cowgirl from first, cutting the Bears' lead, 2-1.
 
Recording a hit in her 13^th straight game, Velasquez Zimmer unleashed a two-out double off the left field wall to keep the Bears' inning alive. Bringing in MSU's third run of the game, Hailee Vigneaux smoked a ball up the middle to score Velasquez Zimmer.
 
Oklahoma State responded in the bottom of the frame once again, after a hit batter and back-to-back singles brought a Cowgirl around to score, making it a 3-2 game. An inning later, OSU's Vanessa Shippy tied up the game at three runs apiece after sending a leadoff home run over the left field wall.
 
With two innings to go, the Bears put up a four-run sixth inning to regain their lead, kicking off the top of the frame with three consecutive singles. On a force play at home, the OSU catcher committed her second error of the game after she missed the throw, allowing two Bears to slide home. Normally a power hitter, Beason laid down a sacrifice bunt to score Missouri State's sixth run of the game. Sophomore catcher Darian Frost followed up with an RBI ground out to second base, giving Missouri State a commanding 7-3 lead.
 
After entering the game in the fifth inning, junior Holly Kelley kept OSU off the board for three innings. The Cowgirls threatened to score in bottom of the sixth after a leadoff double, a ground out and a walk put runners on the corners. On the final out of the inning, senior Elena Gambill caught the Cowgirl at third in a run-down and teamed up with Frost to make the third out of the inning at the plate.
 
Earning the Bears' first win over the Cowgirls since the 2014 season, Kelley improved to 5-3 on the season, tallying two timely strikeouts in her three innings. Beason helped hold OSU to three runs through four innings, preventing the Big 12 Conference team from earning its 20^th win on the season.
 
Coming Up Next
Missouri State returns home to Killian Stadium for its home and Missouri Valley Conference opener against UNI. Saturday, Mar. 18, the squads will go head-to-head in a double header slated for 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. The next day, the Bears and Panthers will close out the series with a single game at 11 a.m. For more information on the Missouri State softball team, visit missouristatebears.com or follow @MSUSoftball on Twitter.