CONWAY, Ark. – A complete game shutout from pitcher Steffany Dickerson propelled Missouri State softball to a 2-0 win over Western Illinois to close out its first day at the Michelle Short Memorial Tournament here Thursday.
 
The Bears (4-2) fell 5-0 to host Central Arkansas in game one of the three-day tournament.
 
"It was great to come back there in the second game and get a hard-fought win," said head coach Holly Hesse.  "Steff was excellent at mixing her pitches and credit to our defense for backing her up as well.  The hitters came through with timely hits and heads-up plays to put enough runs up for the win."
 
Game 1
UCA 5, MSU 0                                                                                          
Missouri State registered six hits against UCA's Kayla Beaver but fell short in producing any runs out of them as the visiting Bears were shutout, 5-0 in the contest.
 
UCA (5-7) used a three-run fourth to chase starter Madison Hunsaker (2-1) who was coming off an impressive performance at MSU's season-opening tournament at Mississippi State earlier this week.  The hosts took advantage of three Missouri State miscues in the inning to score two of its runs before an RBI sac fly in foul territory closed out the scoring.
 
In the first inning, Daphne Plummer continued her hot start at the plate by extending her four-game hitting streak in her first at-bat.  Her infield hit followed by a Hunsaker single applied the pressure from the get-go, but Beaver retired the next three to squander the early rally.
 
UCA's two-run bottom of the first put MSU on its heels with a bases-loaded single giving the purple Bears a 2-0 lead and enough support for Beaver who kept the visitors scoreless in her seven innings in the circle.
 
Plummer and Hunsaker notched their second straight multi-hit games while Kelsie Lewis and Olivia Krehbiel had the remaining hits for the MSU lineup.
 
Jacie Taber made her first career appearance in the circle, coming in for the final inning and adding a strikeout to her debut.  She entered in relief of Gracie Johnston who struck out two in her 1 2/3 innings of work.
 
Game 2
Bears 2, WIU 0
An insurance run in the bottom of the sixth would be more than enough to help a dominant Dickerson and secure a 2-0 victory for Missouri State.
 
In her third start of the season, Dickerson (2-1) utilized a dynamic arsenal of pitches to induce easy outs for the MSU defense while showing off her firepower with seven strikeouts to record her first solo shutout of 2021.
 
Western Illinois (6-2) managed only three hits and came out on the losing end of the pitcher's duel after its hurler Abby Carlin (1-2) kept the Leathernecks in the contest with her 11 strikeouts.
 
The home sixth inning began with Tess Weakly reaching on an error and it would culminate with Krehbiel coming around to score on another Leathernecks blunder for MSU's second and final run of the contest.
 
After getting two-out base hits in the first and second innings that were unfruitful, MSU got an RBI double from Weakly in the third with two down to break open the scoring.  With the first two batters retired, Hunsaker drew a walk and pinch-runner Skyler Shaw came on to put herself in scoring position by swiping second before Weakly pushed MSU ahead 1-0 on her second RBI of the season.
 
Plummer extended her hitting streak to six games with her fifth-inning single.  She's hitting .529 with four runs scored and four stolen bases to begin her senior season.
 
Missouri State continues the tournament tomorrow with a game against Omaha at 10 a.m., followed by another matchup against Western Illinois at 2:30 p.m.