TULSA, Okla. – Posting its first win over Tulsa since the 2006 season, the Missouri State softball team (13-10) ground out a 7-6, come-from-behind victory, Tuesday night at the Collins Family Softball Complex.
 
"I'm really proud of our fight after getting down by four runs early in the game," head coach Holly Hesse said. "It was a total team effort and nearly everyone entered the game to contribute. Erin was phenomenal for five innings against a really good hitting team and I'm very impressed with our team's ability to put up double-digit hits against such a good team."
 
MSU out-hit TU 12-8 and combined for a .364 batting average against the 2017 NCAA Tournament team. Prior to today's meeting, the Bears dropped the last 12 contests against the Golden Hurricanes.
 
After a 1-2-3 frame for the Bear offense, the Golden Hurricanes strung together four runs off four hits in the bottom of the first. They used a single through the left side and double to right center to take an early 1-0 advantage, then Haley Meinen unleashed a two-run home run of MSU starter Kaitlin Beason to lead 3-0. Following the long ball, senior Holly Kelley stepped in to take over the circle. The Golden Hurricane's fourth run of the inning came on a long sacrifice fly that scored the runner on third.
 
Determined to claw their way back, the Bears responded with a pair of runs in the top of the second. Freshman Kelly Metter got MSU rolling with a one-out double to the left-center fence and sophomore Darby Joerling laced a double of her own down the left-field line and brought her around to score.
 
"I think the back-to-back doubles by Kelly and Darby were the sparks we needed to get going offensively," Hesse added. "Those were huge at-bats by those two and they did an excellent job in the box."
 
Madison Jones moved Joerling over to third on a groundout to second and then Erika Velasquez Zimmer cut TU's lead to 4-2 after she lifted an RBI single over the second baseman's head.
 
The Golden Hurricanes answered MSU's run production in the bottom of the fame and took a 6-2 lead off a walk, single and long sacrifice fly to left field.
 
MSU went to sophomore Erin Griesbauer in the third inning, where she kept TU off the board thanks to two strikeouts and a sacrifice bunt. The Bear defense was flawless in the next inning after Griesbauer induced two ground outs and a fly ball to right field.
 
Hailee Vigneaux and Daphne Plummer sparked the MSU offense in the top of the fifth with back-to-back singles and Beason moved the pair over into scoring position with a grounder to second. With one out, junior Darian Frost scored Vigneaux on a single into right center, and the Bears cut into TU's lead 6-4 after a throwing error allowed Plummer to score on the play.
 
Two walks loaded the bases for MSU and sophomore Carsten Warner brought in a run after she was nailed in the shoulder with a pitch. The following at-bat, Velasquez Zimmer forced a Golden Hurricane error that marked all Bears safe, tying the game at 6 runs apiece.
 
Griesbauer and the Bears held off TU in the bottom of the frame and returned to score one more run in the top of the sixth. Plummer and Beason led the inning off with back-to-back singles but Plummer was thrown out at third on a bunt from Frost. With one out, freshman Madison Hunsaker laced her sixth hit of the season to load the bases. Giving MSU its first and final lead of the game, Metter brought in the go-ahead run on a sacrifice fly to put the Bears on top, 7-6.
 
The Golden Hurricanes recorded a one-out single through the right side in the final frame, but a 6-2 ground double play ended TU's final efforts and secured the 7-6 victory for the Bears.
 
Griesbauer, who entered the game in the third, threw five spotless innings and improved to 3-1 on the season. She picked up two strikeouts in her seventh appearance and limited the Golden Hurricanes to just three hits in five full innings.
 
"I'm super excited about what Erin did in the circle today," Hesse exclaimed. "She's our middle reliever and she just came in and took care of five innings of shutout ball. I couldn't ask for anything more than that."
 
With the win, the Bears enter Missouri Valley Conference play this weekend with a 13-10 overall record.
 
"This is a huge win for this team because we've been close so many times against good teams like Tulsa," Hesse noted. "We were close against Wichita State twice this last weekend, so I think that this was the win we needed to finally get over the hump and that is huge for us going into conference."
 
Coming Up Next
The Bears open up MVC play at Killian Stadium this weekend against Illinois State. Friday will feature a doubleheader at 12 and 2 p.m. and Saturday's contest is slated for 11 a.m. For all the latest information on the Missouri State softball team, visit missouristatebears.com or follow @MSUSoftball on Twitter.