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

SPRINGFIELD – The Missouri State softball Bears scored seven runs over the last two innings to mount a dramatic 7-6 comeback win in game two of Friday's Missouri Valley Conference doubleheader sweep of visiting Illinois State here at Killian Stadium. 
 
The Bears (15-10, 2-0 MVC) also took game one, 4-2, with a four-run explosion in the first inning and a solid relief effort by Erin Griesbauer who earned the save in 2.2 innings out of the bullpen.
 
Freshman Madison Hunsaker drove in five runs on the day for the Bears, including her first career home run, and picked up a win in the relief in game two.  Darian Frost also notched a team-high four hits for doubleheader to help MSU outhit the MVC preseason favorites from Illinois State (9-20, 0-2 MVC) by an 18-15 margin.
 
"Just a super home opener and Valley opener for us," said MSU head coach Holly Hesse. "We knew we would have our hands full with the preseason Valley favorites, and we fought hard through two highly-contested games.
 
We had to come back late – twice – in the second game. It was nice to see our offense cover up some late mistakes and step up when the game was on the line."
 

GAME ONE
Missouri State 4, Illinois State 2
 
The Bears jumped all over Illinois State starter Sarah Finck in the bottom of the first inning, scoring four times on four hits right out of the gates.
 
A leadoff single by Erika Velasquez Zimmer preceded an Illinois State error that put Hailee Vigneaux on base. After freshman Daphne Plummer moved the two runners over, Kaitlin Beason reached on a bunt single to score the game's first run. Frost followed with an RBI single to make it 2-0 before Hunsaker plated two more runs in her first career at-bat at Killian Stadium.
 
MSU's 4-0 lead held until the third when the Redbirds scratched across a single tally after a mishandled sacrifice bunt made it a 4-1 contest.
 
ISU threatened again in the fifth after a one-out double by Alex Caliva set up an RBI hit by Allison Spence to chase Bears' starter Holly Kelley. Griesbauer came in relief to slam the door closed, thanks in part to a dazzling play at third by MSU freshman Kelly Metter.
 
The Redbirds would manage just one hit the rest of the way with Kelley improving to 6-2 on the season and Griesbauer picking up her first save.
 
 
GAME TWO
Missouri State 7, Illinois State 6
 
One of the most dramatic MSU wins in Killian Stadium history saw the Bears rally from a 3-0 deficit to take the lead in the bottom of the sixth on a three-run homer by Hunsaker.
 
The comeback effort started with a two-out hit by Daphne Plummer – her third hit of the game – to begin a string of five consecutive MSU hits. Beason and Frost followed with singles, including an RBI knock to center by Frost to put the Bears on the board for the first time.  Hunasker then came up and jacked a first-pitch, three-run blast to right-center to give MSU a 4-3 lead.
 
Just three outs from victory, the Bears stumbled in the top of the seventh, committing two untimely errors to open the door for a three-run Redbird rally. Caliva capped the ISU seventh with an RBI single to give the visitors a 6-4 lead.
 
But the Bears were game for a little more drama, wasting no time in retaliating in the bottom of the seventh. Darby Joerling opened up the inning with a pinch-hit double to right. Two batters later, Vigneaux singled up the middle to make it a 6-5 game.  Plummer grounded out to the pitcher to move Vigneaux into scoring position with two outs, and Beason delivered with an RBI single just inside the third base line.
 
Frost then brought the MSU faithful to their feet with the game-winning, two-out hit – a run-scoring triple to right -- that sent Beason racing all the way home from first base to lift the Bears to a 7-6 win.
 
Hunsaker earned her first home win, going two-thirds of an inning in relief to take starter Steffany Dickerson off the hook. Dickerson struck out four in her first Valley start and scattered four hits in 4.1 innings of work.
 
Plummer and Frost were both 3-for-4 in the victory with Frost driving in a pair of runs.
 
Coming Up Next
The Bears close out the Illinois State series Saturday at 1 p.m. – a change from the original start time.
 
In celebration of St. Patrick's Day, all fans wearing green to the ballpark will receive free admission. It is also free admission for all Girl Scouts on Saturday afternoon at Killian Stadium.
 
For all the latest information on the Missouri State softball team, visit MissouriStateBears.com or follow @MSUSoftball on Twitter.