Softball Bears Split Valley Opener vs. UNI

Saturday, March 18

Springfield

12:00 p.m.

Missouri State University

13-9, 0

Northern Iowa

12-11, 0

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Northern Iowa	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	4	2
Missouri State	0	0	3	0	3	0	X	6	7	1

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Northern Iowa	0	2	0	0	0	3	1	6	8	0
Missouri State	0	0	1	0	0	0	1	2	9	3

Softball Bears Split Valley Opener vs. UNI

March 18, 2017 | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

By: MSU Athletics Communications

Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score | Season Stats

SPRINGFIELD – Missouri State (13-10, 1-1 MVC) split a Missouri Valley Conference doubleheader here Saturday against Northern Iowa (13-11, 1-1), winning the first game 6-0 before falling 6-2 in the night cap. MSU used a pair of three-run innings to win the Valley opener before allowing back-to-back home runs in the second to drop the second game, 6-2. The teams meet again Sunday at 11 a.m. in the series finale.

Game 1
Missouri State 6, UNI 0

Missouri State rode the arm and bat of Kaitlin Beason to a 6-0 victory in game one. The junior hit a three-run homer in the third and pitched six-plus shutout innings in the circle to propel the Bears to a shutout win in the MVC opener.

Beason (7-5) allowed just 4 hits and walked one with a strikeout before giving way to Holly Kelley in the top of the seventh with two on. It was her seventh win of the season.

The Bears added three more runs in the bottom of the fifth, all with two outs. Beason led off the frame with a walk, and three batters later, Gambill singled home pinch runner Darby Joerling. Madison Jones then tripled to right to score Gambill before a fielding error by UNI first baseman Bailey Kennedy plated Jones on a grounder hit by Olivia Roark.

Sullinger and Jones finished with two hits apiece for the Bears. Erika Velasquez Zimmer's 13-game hitting streak was snapped, though she reached on a fielder's choice in the fifth.

UNI starter Jaci Spencer (5-4) went 4.2 innings, allowing 5 earned runs and 7 hits in her fourth loss.

Game 2
UNI 6, Missouri State 2

Back to back home runs by Anna Varriano and Alyssa Buchannan in the second inning lifted Northern Iowa to a 6-2 win over the Bears in the second game of the MVC-opening doubleheader at Killian.

The Panthers greeted MSU starter Holly Kelley with the tandem blasts with one out in the second frame after Kelley struck out the first batter of the inning.

The Bears rallied for a run in the third after Erika Velasquez Zimmer reached on a bunt single and stole second. Bethany Sullinger later drove her home on a ground out to first to make it a 2-1 game.

That score held until the sixth when the Panthers sent eight batters to the plate and scored three times. Varriano drove home two on a hit to left field, and UNI plated another on a two-out error.

A two-out hit by Sammey Bunch in the seventh gave UNI its final run of the day.

Missouri State had a hit in every inning and out-hit the Panthers, 9-8, on the game. The Bears also put the leadoff hitter on five times and stranded eight.

Velasquez Zimmer finished with 3 hits for the Bears with Sullinger and Mary Stephens collecting two apiece.

Kelley (5-4) took the loss for MSU, giving up 7 hits and 4 earned runs through 5.2 innings of work. Erin Griesbauer pitched 1.1 innings in relief without an earned run. UNI's Alyssa Buchanan (5-1) went the distance for the Panthers.

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