Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score | Season Stats | MVC-Only Stats
 
PEORIA, Ill. – Missouri State got exceptional pitching and clutch hitting here Saturday to claim a pair of one-run victories over Bradley – 4-3 and 3-2 – in Missouri Valley Conference softball action.
 
The Bears (22-13, 8-4 MVC) overcame a 3-0 deficit in the series opener thanks to a bases-clearing triple by Daphne Plummer in the fifth inning and a complete-game effort from Steffany Dickerson in the circle.
 
MSU then jumped out to a 3-0 lead in game two and held off a late-surging Braves (18-15, 5-5 MVC) team behind a quality performance from starting hurler Erin Griesbauer and a two-out save by Dickerson.
 
"I can't say enough about our pitchers today, and (shortstop) Daphne Plummer was amazing," said MSU head coach Holly Hesse. "We really battled a very good team for 14 innings, and am so proud of our entire team for making so many big plays today."
 
For the day, Madison Hunsaker and Plummer accounted for three hits apiece for Missouri State, which accumulated three extra-base.
 
The final game of the three-game set is slated for 11 a.m. Sunday at Pederson Hotels Field. The game will air live on ESPN3.
 
 
Game 1
Missouri State 4, Bradley 3
 
After a rough first inning, the Bears chipped away until a bases-loaded triple by Plummer in the fifth gave the Missouri State the lead for good in a 4-3 victory.
 
Dickerson (14-5) took just 90 pitches to ring up her eighth complete-game victory of the season. She struck out five and walked one while surrendering two earned runs in the first inning.
 
Bradley jumped all over the Bears in the opening frame, stringing together three straight hits to lead 3-0 out of the gates. A leadoff triple by Lucy Mead set the table for back-to-back singles from Vicki Zaluske and Stacia Seeton. An MSU mishap in the outfield on Seeton's hit brought Zaluske around to score. Seeton later came home on a ground ball by Taise Thompson to give the Braves an early three spot.
 
Dickerson settled in from there, retiring the next nine Bradley hitters she faced, including four straight strikeouts in the second and third innings. The Braves put their first two hitters on in the fourth with base hits, but Allison Apke left first base early for the first out before Plummer gunned down Thompson at the plate for the second out to help MSU put out the fire.
 
The Bears scored their first run of the game in the fourth with Dickerson delivering a two-out RBI single to right to bring Hunsaker around to score and make it a 3-1 contest. Dickerson's hit was just the third of the game for MSU at that point and opened up the door for the visitors' winning rally in the fifth.
 
Payton Minnis started the Missouri State fifth-inning fireworks with a bunt single before Kyana Mason drew a walk and Darby Joerling reached on an infield single to load the bases. Plummer thing smashed a triple past first base and into the right field corner to clear the bases and give the visitors a 4-3 advantage.
 
Dickerson brought it home from there, closing out the final three innings without giving up a hit. She faced the minimum nine hitters in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings, working around a leadoff walk in the seventh with a game-ending double play by Joerling and Plummer to erase pinch runner Carly Chovanec.
 
Joerling finished 2-for-4 to lead all players. The Bears out-hit Bradley, 6-5.
 
Megan Mahaffy (5-4) took the loss for Bradley, going the distance with two walks, two strikeouts and three earned runs.
 
 
Game 2
Missouri State 3, Bradley 2
 
The Bears scored a run in three of the first four innings to provide just enough run support for starter Erin Griesbauer in a 3-2 victory in game two.
 
In the first inning, a one-out single to center by Plummer was bobbled by the center fielder which brought Joerling around to score after she walked moments earlier. In the second, Mason tripled to left center to chase home Kelly Metter and make it a 2-0 game.
 
MSU then made it 3-0 in the fourth with a two-out RBI single by Plummer to bring Minnis to the plate.
 
Apke greeted Griesbauer and the Bears with a leadoff homer to center in the bottom of the fourth, her ninth of the year and 24^th of her career. A one-out walk to Keeler van Breusegen followed, but the MSU defense got the visitors out of trouble with an inning-ending double play started by Minnis.
 
Thompson reached on a base hit to lead off the sixth, and an MSU error in the outfield moved her around to third on the play. Thompson wisely held up on a groundout to Minnis on the next play, but came home soon after on a sacrifice fly to center by Katie Habryle to make it 3-2.
 
Metter's double in the sixth and Alex Boze's one-out walk in the seventh were Missouri State's only base runners the last three innings, but the home club did not go down without a fight.
 
Griesbauer retired the first batter she faced in the seventh, but walked Mead before Zaluske doubled to left center to put the potential tying and winning runs in scoring position. Hesse went to the bullpen for Dickerson who took just three pitches to end the drama and pick up her third save of the year. She set down Seeton and Thompson with grounders to Mason and Plummer, respectively, and secured the doubleheader sweep for MSU.
 
Griesbauer (5-7) fanned four hitters in 6.1 innings of work, allowing just one earned run and seven hits. Plummer led the MSU offense with a 2-for-4 game.
 
Bradley starter Julie Kestas (4-2) was tagged with the loss after giving up three earned runs with five walks and four strikeouts.