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CHICAGO – Missouri State senior right-hander Holly Kelley struck out seven Loyola hitters in a three-hit shutout performance here Sunday, helping the Bears (29-16, 14-5 MVC) to a 2-0 win in the decisive third game of the Missouri Valley Conference softball series.
 
It was the sixth complete game and fourth shutout on the season for Kelley (11-3) who picked up her 100^th strikeout of the season in the game.
 
"It was the second year in a row, Holly has done a great job against this team," said MSU head coach Holly Hesse of her starting pitcher. "She did a good job of keeping them off balance today and gave us an opportunity to win."
 
Kelley threw a complete-game one-hitter in the series opener Saturday – a 2-1 MSU victory – after earning two wins against the Ramblers in 2017.
 
MSU, which captured its fourth straight Valley series, had a hit in every inning to keep pressure on Loyola starter Kiley Jones (15-9). Jones also had seven strikeouts in her second loss of the weekend for the Ramblers (21-20, 7-10 MVC).
 
The Bears scratched across an unearned run in the third, using the speed of Erika Velasquez Zimmer to take the early advantage. A hard grounder by Daphne Plummer was thrown away by Loyola shortstop Jamie O'Brien, and Velasquez Zimmer raced around to score from second.
 
Missouri State made it 2-0 in the fourth. Kaitlin Beason started the rally with a single up the middle, and Kelly Metter sacrificed pinch-runner Carsten Warner to second. The next hitter up, Madison Hunsaker, then smashed a single up the middle to bring Warner home and pad MSU's lead.
 
Hunsaker finished 3-for-3 on the game.
 
"We put (Hunsaker) back in the lineup today, and she proved she needs to stay there," said Hesse. "We had a couple of players step up with some key hits, and that's difficult for a freshman to do."
 
Loyola threatened in the fifth and sixth innings. The Ramblers earned a one-out walk from pinch hitter Caitlin Engelking in the fifth before a two-out single by Shannon McGee, her second hit of the game. But Kelley rebounded by getting another LUC pinch hitter, Sophia Swain, to foul out to Beason just in front of the MSU dugout.
 
In the sixth, the Ramblers put another runner in scoring position after a leadoff walk to Katie Kasubke. But once again, Kelley refocused and induced a pair of ground balls and a fly ball to center to retire the side.
 
Kelley hit a batter with two outs in the seventh, but a fly ball to Velasquez Zimmer ended it moments later to give the Bears the victory and series win.
 
Plummer also had multiple hits for the Bears, finishing 2-for-3, but reaching base all four times and compiling four hits in the series. Madison Jones also finished the series with four hits.
 
The Bears picked up their 14^th conference win for just the fifth time in program history. MSU also won 14 or more league games in 1992 (14-4), 2005 (16-11), 2006 (18-4) and 2015 (17-9).
 
 
Coming Up Next
The Bears travel to Southern Illinois for a single game Monday at Noon in Carbondale. Missouri State has just seven regular-season games remaining, including its final home series of the campaign, April 28-29 vs. Indiana State at Killian Stadium.
 
"Against last year's conference tournament champions, we know the SIU game will be tough," said Hesse. "Every game is important, and tomorrow is another opportunity to play our best."
 
For all the latest information on the Missouri State softball team, including weather and schedule updates, visit MissouriStateBears.com or follow @MSUSoftball on Twitter.