SPRINGFIELD – Missouri State softball scored four unanswered runs to mount a come-from-behind rally that, ultimately, fell short as Loyola took game one of the weekend series, 5-4 here Saturday night at Killian Stadium.
 
Facing a 5-0 deficit, the Bears (19-15, 10-5 MVC) got home runs from Olivia Krehbiel and Tess Weakly in the fourth inning to spark the comeback bid, but the Ramblers picked up a critical out in the sixth inning to minimize another Bears rally that resulted in the tying run being left in scoring position.
 
Loyola (10-22, 6-10 MVC) opened up the game by scoring a run in the first inning after leadoff hitter Madison Ebeling came home on an MSU error.
 
Four hits and a bases-loaded walk extended the Ramblers lead in the third before Bears starter Steffany Dickerson (8-8) worked herself out of the jam with back-to-back strikeouts to end the inning.
 
The Ramblers added another two-run frame in the fourth after capitalizing on two Bears miscues.  A sac fly RBI brought the first run of the inning in and then an ill-placed infield single turned disaster for MSU as it allowed another Ramblers runner to cross the plate.
 
After Loyola starter Sydney Ruggles held the Bears in check through the first three innings, Missouri State broke through in the three-run fourth with Krehbiel sending the first pitch of the inning over the left field fence for her second home run of the season.
 
Later in the inning, Alex Boze drew one of her two walks of the game to set up Weakly's two-run blast as the sophomore slugger laced one to right center that chased Ruggles and trimmed the Ramblers lead to 5-3.
 
The sixth inning provided a chance for the Bears to complete the comeback after a bunt single from Skyler Shaw put runners at first and second with one out.  On the next at-bat, pinch-hitter Meagan McCorkell's fly ball to center bounced off the outstretched glove of the Ramblers outfielder to fall for a single, but the uncertainty caused both runners to wait for the outcome before advancing and, as Kat Taylor scored, the throw in from center created a pickle situation for Shaw who was tagged out in the rundown.
 
Ramblers reliever Madison Veres (4-6), who came in for Ruggles in the fourth, secured the series-opening win in the bottom of seventh as a laser from Krehbiel was snagged at shortstop to end the game.

Dickerson struck out five in her 3.2 innings of work and was tagged for two earned runs while Gracie Johnston allowed just two hits in her 3.1 innings of scoreless relief.
 
At the plate, Krehbiel and Shaw each had multi-hit games to account for half of the MSU hits.  The sixth-inning single was the fourth hit of the season for McCorkell as a pinch-hitter.
 
After rain altered the weekend schedule with a single game being played today, the two teams will return to Killian Stadium tomorrow for a doubleheader beginning at 11 a.m.