Box Score | Season Stats
 
GULF SHORES, Ala. – Four Missouri State errors early in the game led to four unearned runs by unbeaten Louisiana Tech, and the Bears dropped their final game at the Sand Dollar Classic to the Lady Techsters, 8-4, here Sunday morning.
 
After falling behind 5-0, the Bears (3-2) scratched across a run in the home half of the fifth to break up the no-hitter by Lady Techster starter Krystal De La Cruz. A two-out double by Morgan Greenlee set the table for Darby Joerling whose liner up the middle put MSU on the scoreboard for the first time.
 
In the sixth, the Bears rallied again when Kelly Metter smashed a double to left center ahead of a run-scoring single by Madison Hunsaker to make it a 5-2 game. Hannah Heinrichs and Steffany Dickerson reached to load the bases off CUSA preseason pitcher of the year Preslee Gallaway who entered the game in relief to start the frame.
 
But Greenlee greeted her with a two-run hit to center to score Heinrichs and pinch-runner Ashton Thomas and make it a 5-4 game. The Lady Techsters changed pitchers again, and Jen Chapman eventually got the third out after the Bears sent eight batters to the plate.
 
However, Missouri State's comeback hopes were dashed in the top of the seventh when Marry Terral slapped a three-run homer to center, her third of the tournament, to make it an 8-4 game and send La Tech (5-0) to the tournament title.
 
Greenlee led the Bears with two of the team's six hits and a pair of RBI. Dickerson (2-1) gave up just one earned run in 4.0 innings of work and struck out three in her first loss of the year.
 
De La Cruz (2-0) got the win for La Tech with Chapman picking up her first save. Kimmie Atienza had a pair of hits to lead the Lady Techster offense, with Terral's three RBI in the seventh leading all players.
 
The Bears return to action next weekend when they travel to Hammond, La., to play in the Southeastern Louisiana Lion Classic. MSU will play Texas A&M Corpus Christi, host Southeastern Louisiana, Prairie View A&M, SIU Edwardsville, and UTSA at the event, Feb. 15-17.