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SPRINGFIELD – Missouri State out-hit No. 14-ranked Arkansas, but the visiting Razorbacks took advantage of two unearned runs in the second inning and held on for a 2-1 victory over the Bears here Wednesday in non-conference softball action.
 
Missouri State (20-13) collected six hits, including the game's only two extra-base hits, while holding its Southeastern Conference foes to just three singles on the evening.
 
Steffany Dickerson (13-5) took a hard-luck loss in the circle for MSU, pitching 5.0 innings and striking out three before giving way to freshman Bailey Greenlee in the sixth. Greenlee retired all six Arkansas hitters she faced with one strikeout.
 
"It starts in the circle where our pitching was outstanding for seven innings against a ranked SEC team," said MSU head coach Holly Hesse. "I was really proud of the way our team battled and hung in there and gave ourselves a chance to win. We didn't pull it off, but our effort was amazing."
 
Arkansas (26-11) capitalized on two MSU errors in the second for its only runs of the game. With one out, Kayla Green evaded a force play at second on a dropped throw by the Bears and later came around to score along with Haydi Bugarin on an errant throw to the plate.
 
Dickerson surrendered just one hit the rest of the game – a one-out single by Ashley Diaz in the fifth – before she and Greenlee slammed the door on the Razorbacks' last eight hitters of the game.
 
Meanwhile, the Bears stayed active on the base baths, putting runners on base in the first, third and fourth innings. A one-out triple by Rachel Weber in the fourth looked like it would produce the first run of the game for the home side, but a sensational play by Arkansas catcher Kayla Green on a squeeze bunt by Kelly Metter erased Weber at the plate. T

However, the Bears finally got on the board in the bottom of the fifth, Kyana Mason started the home half of the fifth with her third hit of the game on a liner down the left field line. Daphne Plummer then doubled Mason over to third with no outs which chased UA starter Autumn Storms. Missouri State then greeted reliever Mary Haff with a ground ball by Darby Joerling to score Mason and make it a 2-1 game. Haff responded by striking out the next two MSU hitters to end the rally.
 
Down by one in the seventh, the Bears got a leadoff walk by Mason on four pitches to start the inning and give MSU a chance. Plummer bunted her into scoring position to make things exciting before Joerling hit a soft liner to left that Hannah McEwen snagged with a diving catch on the chalk to save a run. Haff then retired Madison Hunsaker on a blazing grounder to second to end the game.
 
Storms (14-3) struck out four MSU hitters in 4.0 innings of work and gave up all six Bears hits with no walks. Haff earned her fourth save of the year with two strikeouts, two walks and no hits allowed in 3.0 innings of relief.
 
The contest was Missouri State's fifth against a ranked opponent (1-4) this year and fourth game against an SEC foe (1-3).
 
The Bears (6-4 in the MVC) resume Missouri Valley Conference play on Saturday and Sunday in Peoria, Ill., against the Bradley Braves (17-13, 5-3) before their next home game on April 9 against Southern Illinois.