DES MOINES, Iowa – The Missouri State softball team (32-19, 17-8 MVC) evened up the score in the top of the fifth, but a sixth-inning surge from the Bulldogs gave top-ranked Drake a 2-1 victory, Sunday afternoon at Buel Field.
 
The Bears' first three offensive innings were silent, but senior Madison Jones broke up a Kailee Smith no-hitter with a double down the left-field line. She advanced to third thanks to long fly ball to center the next at-bat, but a grounder to third ended the Bears' fourth-inning effort.
 
Drake fought back against MSU starter Steffany Dickerson in the bottom of the fourth when Smith gave the Bulldogs a 1-0 lead on a leadoff home run. The Bulldogs recorded back-to-back singles following the long ball, which forced Missouri State to make a pitching change.
 
Making her third appearance in the circle this weekend, Madison Hunsaker stepped up to the challenge and led the Bears out of a bases-loaded situation to end the inning.
 
The Bears clawed their way back into the game in the next frame, beginning with a Kaitlin Beason single into left field. The Drake outfielder misplayed the ball after it hit the grass and Beason was able to advance to second on the Bulldog error.
 
Hunsaker did her job in the following at-bat, and laid down a textbook sacrifice bunt to move the Bear on second over to third. On a hard-hit ball to short, Hannah Heinrichs drove in the tying run to make things even at one run apiece.
 
Dickerson went back to the circle in the bottom of the fifth but Drake put immediate pressure on the defense after a throwing error put the leadoff Bulldog on second. The Bears retired out number one on a fly out to left field, then starting third baseman Kyana Mason went all out on an unassisted double play in the next at-bat. She laid out on a line drive in foul territory and was able to tag the runner at third to bring the Bears back to the dugout.
 
One-out singles from Daphne Plummer and Darian Frost put the burden on the Bulldogs in the top of the sixth. However, Drake turned the circle over to ace Nicole Newman and she recorded back-to-back strikeouts to end the frame.
 
Drake carried the momentum into the bottom of the sixth after Dickerson issued a one-out walk to Kelsey Wright. The right-hander responded with her sixth strikeout of the game, but the Bulldogs took a 2-1 lead on a base-clearing triple in the next at-bat. Missouri State turned to sophomore Erin Griesbauer after the run scored, and she induced a grounder to short to end the inning.
 
Heinrichs led off the top of the seventh with a walk and was quickly moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt, but the MSU offense couldn't bring her in and two Newman strikeouts ended the game.
 
With the loss, Missouri State finished the regular season with a 32-19 overall record and 17-8 mark in Missouri Valley Conference play. Dickerson fell to 7-6 on the season, but tallied six strikeouts in her 23^rd appearance of the season.
 
Coming Up Next
Reaching the post-season tournament for the 14^th consecutive season, MSU will travel back to Drake later this week as the No. 2 seed in the 2018 MVC Championship. For all the latest information on the Missouri State softball team, visit MissouriStateBears.com or follow @MSUSoftball on Twitter.