Box Score | Season Stats | MVC-Only Stats
 
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – What started out as a pitcher's duel Saturday quickly turned into a slugfest in the final two innings with Missouri State (23-14, 8-4 MVC) coming from behind in the seventh to beat Evansville, 4-3, and secure a three-game Missouri Valley Conference road sweep.
 
After falling behind 3-2 in the sixth, senior Kaitlin Beason led off the MSU seventh with a solo shot to center, her fourth homer of the year, to tie the game. Four batters later, Madison Jones smacked an RBI single to center to plate Erika Velasquez Zimmer for what proved to be the winning run.
 
"You know Beason can always make something big happen with one swing, and that was a perfect time for her to do that," said MSU head coach Holly Hesse. "And then for Zimmer to follow that up with a walk and Madison Jones to smash one up the middle to bring in the go-ahead run was huge. I just thought we showed so much heart, grit and competitive excellence, which is what you want to see at this time of the season."
 
Erin Griesbauer (7-2), who came on in relief in the sixth, picked up her second win of the weekend with a 1-2-3 seventh inning, including a strikeout. She was pivotal in all three games of the series, throwing a nine-inning complete game in the series opener and earning a save in game two.
 
Bears' starter Holly Kelley pitched 5.1 masterful innings and matched the second-highest strikeout total of her career with 10. She fanned at least two Purple Aces in every inning until she was chased in the sixth, didn't walk anyone, and allowed just four hits – all singles.
 
Evansville (11-22, 4-7 MVC) got a complete game from its starter Morgan Florey (8-11), the Valley's strikeout leader. She fanned 10 Bears but was tagged with her second loss of the series, surrendering seven hits, three walks and four earned runs.
 
After five scoreless innings, the Bears finally broke through against Florey and the Aces in the top of the sixth with a pair of runs. Hailee Vigneaux led off the rally with a hustle double on a short pop up to the left side. Jones then drew a throw to first on a dropped third strike that sent Vigneaux scampering to third.
 
Daphne Plummer then smashed her sixth hit in the span of two games with an RBI triple over the center fielder's head to push home the game's first run. Darian Frost capped the rally with a deep fly to the warning track in right to score Plummer on a sacrifice fly.
 
Evansville responded with a three-run surge in the bottom of the sixth to take the lead briefly. With one out, Bailee Porter put down a bunt in front of the plate that Frost fielded, but fired down the right field line. Porter wound up at third and then scored on another MSU error on the next play. The Aces then strung together back-to-back singles by Mea Adams and Lindsey Renneisen to tie the game, 2-2.
 
After bringing Madison Hunsaker in to face one batter, the Bears then turned to Griesbauer to put out the fire. She immediately induced a groundout that Jones threw home for the force out. However, Evansville broke up the tie on a bases-loaded walk to the next hitter, Elyse Hickey, that gave the Aces a 3-2 advantage headed into the seventh.
 
However, just as they had done the entire series, the Bears battled back and scratched across a pair of tallies in the seventh to steal the victory.
 
"I just thought all weekend, our players showed great resiliency," said Hesse. "To come out yesterday and win a couple of extra-inning games in some really tough weather conditions was a total team effort. It's tough to get a sweep in the league, and to do it on the road was extra special."
 
In the decisive seventh-inning rally, Velasquez Zimmer stole the 60^th base of her career to become Missouri State's all-time leader, surpassing Bears' great Kate Madden (1993-96).
 
Vigneaux, Jones and Plummer led the Bears with two hits apiece in Saturday's game.
 
MSU's road trifecta not only helped the Bears match their win total from last season (23), but also marked the club's first three-game Valley sweep away from Springfield since downing Bradley three straight in Peoria in 2011.
 
 
Coming Up Next
 
MSU will host Oklahoma State Wednesday at 5 p.m. at Killian Stadium before resuming Valley play at home against Bradley next Saturday and Sunday.
 
For all the latest information on the Missouri State softball team, visit MissouriStateBears.com or follow @MSUSoftball on Twitter.