DES MOINES, Iowa – The No. 2 seeded Missouri State softball team fought tooth and nail through seven full innings, but fell 9-8 to No. 3 Southern Illinois in the 2018 Missouri Valley Conference Championship, Friday evening at Buel Field. The Bears finished the season with a 32-20 overall record.
 
"I am so incredibly proud of this team's fight," head coach Holly Hesse said. "We dug a hole early and a lot of teams wouldn't have been able to get five runs back by the end of seven innings, let alone by the end of two. This team has fought so hard all year and I couldn't be more proud of them."
 
SIU wasted no time pressuring the MSU defense and loaded the bases on two walks and a single in the opening frame. With one out, SIU's Sydney Jones connected with a pitch from MSU starter Holly Kelley and drove a grand slam over the fence to put the Salukis up 4-0. Kelley stopped the bleeding with her only strikeout of the contest.
 
Trying to claw their way back into the fight, senior Erika Velasquez Zimmer kicked off the Bears' efforts with a single up the middle. However, on the next play, veteran Madison Jones lined out to third and Velasquez Zimmer was unable to beat the throw back to first. All-MVC Second-Teamer Daphne Plummer drew a walk to keep the Bears' inning alive and she was moved over to third on a Darian Frost single to right field in the next at-bat. Though the Bears had runners on the corners, both Plummer and Frost were stranded after a grounder to short end the first inning.
 
Carrying its offensive momentum into the top of the second, SIU began the inning with a leadoff double which forced MSU to pull Kelley and make a pitching change. The Bears brought in sophomore hurler Erin Griesbauer and SIU responded with a single to right that put runners on the corners. After a steal put both Salukis in scoring position, SIU's Maris Boelens laid down a suicide squeeze that brought in the visiting team's fifth run of the game.
 
The Bear lineup came alive in the bottom of the second after Hannah Heinrichs blasted a one-out triple off the right-center field wall. Immediately after, Kelley Metter hit ball to short and the pressure from Heinrichs at third allowed the newcomer to reach first safely. Metter immediately stole second and, in true senior fashion, Hailee Vigneaux smoked an RBI single up the middle to put MSU up on the board.
 
SIU went to its ace, Brianna Jones, following the run and Vigneaux took off for second on the first pitch in the next at-bat. Velasquez Zimmer kept the inning rolling thanks to a Saluki error at third which loaded the bases for the Bear lineup. Remaining patient at the plate, Plummer and Frost both drew full-count, bases-loaded walks to cut into SIU's lead, 5-3.
 
Determined to get MSU back in the game, senior standout Kaitlin Beason drilled a single up the middle and her two RBI tied up the game at five runs apiece.
 
The Salukis scored in its third consecutive inning after a leadoff single and hit batter began the top of the third. Back-to-back diving outs from Metter and Vigneaux recorded two quick outs, but SIU was able to bring in a runner to make it a 6-5 ball game.
 
 
Griesbauer and the Bear defense put a stop to SIU in the top of the fourth and a one-out single from Madison Jones sparked another MSU comeback. Jones blasted a single into shallow left and the Saluki left fielder made two consecutive errors on the play to put her on third. With one out to go in the inning, Frost hit a ball up the middle that forced the Saluki shortstop to move. She booted the ball and Jones was able to reach home safely to tie up the game 6-6.
 
Sydney Jones collected her second hit of the day to start the top of the fifth and a long foul out to right field moved her into scoring position. SIU took the lead once more after an odd check swing was enough to bring in the Salukis' seventh run of the game. Flashing leather quickly, Griesbauer snagged a grounder in the circle and turned a 1-4-3 ground double play to send MSU back into the dugout.  
 
The Bears were held silent in the bottom of the fifth and SIU began the next frame with a leadoff double down the right-field line. The MSU coaching staff made a second call to the bullpen and brought in freshman southpaw Madison Hunsaker. Kyana Mason took over action at third and Hunsaker sat down the next three batters she faced.
 
In the top of the final inning, SIU pulled ahead 9-6 after Kyleigh Decker lifted a two-run homer over the left-field wall. MSU made its third pitching change of the evening and sent in Steffany Dickerson to relieve her fellow-freshman. She closed out the inning with a fly out and strikeout – the pitching staff's fourth of the evening.
 
With its 5-6-7 hitters due up at the plate, MSU fought valiantly to overcome the three-run deficit. Beason scorched a ball to left, but SIU's left fielder made a diving play to record out number one. Dickerson put a man on for the Bears after SIU committed its fifth error of the game and senior Sara Jones was subbed in to pinch run at first base.
 
In her first plate appearance of the evening, Hunsaker connected on a pitch and sent a two-run homer sailing over the left-field wall to make it a 9-8 game with one out remaining. However, a slow roller to second was fielded cleanly and ended it the game.
 
Led by Jones with two hits, Missouri State's senior's combined for five of the team's 10 hits. Beason and Hunsaker led the way with two RBI apiece while Griesbauer (8-4) was dealt the loss. MSU closed out the season with a 32-20 overall record – one of the most successful seasons in program history.

Jones and Beason were named to the 2018 MVC Championship All-Tournament team.
 
"It's hard to see the seniors on the field for the last time," Hesse said. "They've been such a strong group of young women and have been tremendous leaders. This team has been a joy to coach and it has been such an honor to watch them play. I could not ask for more from this group of young women."