WICHITA, Kan. – Missouri State softball dropped both games of its day-one outing at the Shocker Softball Tournament here Thursday.

The Bears (8-8) suffered a 4-3 loss to North Texas in game one before falling 13-2 to Wichita State in the nightcap.

Game 1
UNT 4, Bears 3
A late-game rally came up short for Missouri State as they fell, 4-3 to North Texas in the tournament opener.
 
The Bears out-hit the Mean Green, 6-4 in the contest, but left six runners stranded, including the game-tying run that stood at second when the final out was recorded.
 
North Texas (12-6) scored all four of its runs in the opening frame to jump out to a 4-0 lead.  After an error with the bases loaded and a double steal, UNT topped off the four-run first with a two-out single.
 
Despite four runs in the first inning – none of which were attributed to her – Madison Hunsaker (4-2) bounced back with five consecutive scoreless innings to give the MSU lineup a chance to erase the early deficit.
 
Daphne Plummer opened up the scoring for the Bears in the top of the third.  Following an Olivia Krehbiel stolen base, Plummer took the next pitch and drove it to right center for her second RBI of the year.
 
Missouri State created another opportunistic chance in the top of the fourth.  A one-out walk from Kelly Metter followed by consecutive base knocks from Hunsaker and Alex Boze put the bases full of Bears, but Mean Green reliever Gigi Wall (6-2) struck out the next two to escape the inning.
 
The Bears made it a one-run game in the top of the sixth with Tess Weakly kicking off the rally with an infield hit to begin the inning.  Pinch-runner Skyler Shaw moved into scoring position on a wild pitch and Hunsaker brought her home with a double to left field.  After another wild pitch advanced Hunsaker to third, Boze hit a fly ball deep enough to the center to plate the run and earn the sac fly RBI.
 
Plummer and Hunsaker each added another multi-hit game to their 2021 seasons with the senior duo tallying two hits apiece.
 
Game 2
WSU 13, Bears 2 (5 inn.)
MSU ran into a buzz saw Wichita State lineup, falling 13-2 to the Shockers in five innings.
 
WSU (13-3) scored 12 of its 13 runs via the long ball with a three-run shot in the first inning kick-starting its run-rule victory.
 
With three hits in the contest, Missouri State was held in check by Shockers starter Caitlin Bingham (2-0).
 
The Shockers hit three of their four home runs in the game in a 10-run bottom of the second.  A grand slam from Addison Barnard opened the floodgates for the host team's big inning.  WSU continued the barrage with two more multi-RBI dingers and capped the scoring with a bases-loaded walk.
 
The Bears did their scoring in the top of the third with Kelsie Lewis leading off the inning with a double.  She later scored in the frame after Hunsaker's grounder to the right side of the infield allowed the sophomore enough time to race home.  Darian Frost followed with a two-out RBI-single to add another run for MSU.
 
Jacie Taber pitched the final 2.2 innings, allowing three hits and striking out one.
 
Frost, Krehbiel and Lewis had the hits for MSU while Hunsaker added her second RBI of the day.
 
Missouri State returns for day two of the tournament tomorrow (March 12) with a game against Omaha at 3 p.m. followed by a rematch with the Shockers at 5:30 p.m.