ST. LOUIS – A three-run home run off the bat of Alex Boze in the top of the seventh punctuated a thrilling comeback in Missouri State's 5-4 victory over Saint Louis here Tuesday night.

Down to their final three outs, trailing 4-2, the Bears' last-inning rally started with a leadoff single from Madison Hunsaker followed by an Olivia Krehbiel walk to bring Boze to the plate.  The junior slugger delivered the heroic hit and smashed her second home run of the season to steal the non-conference road win.

"I've got to give credit to our whole team for continuing to battle every pitch and every at-bat," said head coach Holly Hesse.  "They fought all game long and gave themselves a chance there in the seventh and Boze came through in a huge way for us with that home run.  Gracie (Johnston) played a pivotal role too by providing two scoreless innings of relief.  We can carry over the momentum from tonight as we prepare for a big weekend against UNI."
 
MSU (9-8) struck first in the back-and-forth battle taking a 2-0 advantage into the bottom of the fourth.  Starting pitcher Steffany Dickerson worked three quick innings to begin the game, allowing just one runner to reach base safely in the early going.  
 
Four Bears reached in consecutive at-bats to plate the first run of the game in the top of the second.  Boze drew a one-out walk while Kelly Metter and Darian Frost followed with back-to-back hits to load the bases.  Next, Dickerson wore a pitch to earn the free base and allow Boze to trot home to give MSU a 1-0 lead.
 
Metter's second hit of the game put things in motion in the fourth after she split a pitch through the left side of the infield.  She would advance all the way to third courtesy of a wild pitch and sac bunt from Frost before taking advantage of another SLU miscue and racing home on an errant throw.
 
SLU (5-9) stretched its four runs across three innings with a two-run fifth sandwiched between a pair of one-run frames in the fourth and sixth.  A single from Sadie Wise drove in two runs to push the home side ahead, 3-2 in the fifth and added a sac fly RBI in the sixth to hold a two-run cushion heading into the dramatic seventh inning where the SLU lead was erased by Boze's game-winning swing.
 
Gracie Johnston (3-2) entered in the sixth to relieve Dickerson and tossed a scoreless final two innings to earn her third victory of the season.
 
After having its Wednesday game at Southeast Missouri State canceled due to inclement weather, MSU will now return to Springfield to make its 2021 home debut at Killian Stadium and open up Missouri Valley Conference play with a weekend series against UNI beginning on Saturday, March 20 at 12 p.m.