Box Score | Season Stats
 
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Missouri State (23-16, 14-6 MVC) pushed across four runs in the top of the sixth, all with two outs, and rallied from a three-run deficit to defeat Indiana State, 8-7, here Sunday in the decisive game of the MVC three-game series.
 
A two-out walk to Skyler Shaw started MSU's clutch sixth-inning rally innocently enough. But when Shaw stole second, and Daphne Plummer smashed an RBI single to center, it got the Bears within 5-4 and gave the visitors a needed spark. Payton Minnis then reached on an error ahead of a two-run double by Olivia Krehbiel to give Missouri State its first lead. Darian Frost then capped the resurgence with an insurance RBI single to make it 7-5.
 
Plummer finished 4-for-5 to pace Missouri State's 12-hit attack, while Tess Weakly finished 3-for-4, and Frost was 2-for-4.
 
Indiana State (18-26, 11-14) didn't go down easily, posting a single tally in the bottom of the sixth on the second home run of the game by Isabella Henning to get within one.
 
No strangers to playing with a late lead, the Bears collected a needed two-out RBI double by Shaw in the top of the seventh to give the visitors some breathing room again, 8-6.
 
The two-run lead would be key for Missouri State in the home half of the seventh as ISU's Cassie Thomerson led the final frame off with a double. She eventually scored on a sacrifice fly by Mycaela Miller three batters later. But with the potential tying run on base, reliever Steffany Dickerson finished things up for MSU, inducing a pop up to Sycamore senior Grace Hunger to end it and record her second save of the season.
 
"Today was a tremendous team effort for the Bears," said head coach Holly Hesse. "We showed a lot of resilience and never lost our focus. This was a good series win on the road. Daphne Plummer had a great series, as did Olivia (Krehbiel) and Tess (Weakly). I'm very proud that we had an answer for everything Indiana State threw at us."
 
Gracie Johnston (6-3), who came out of the bullpen in the fifth for the Bears, got the win after allowing just one hit in 1.0 innings of relief work. Dickerson closed it out with a six-out save.
 
Bears starter Madison Hunsaker pitched 4+ innings and struck out a pair with two walks, six hits and four earned runs.
 
The Sycamores came out of the gates with a three-run first inning that included a two-run homer by Henning, her seventh, that was preceded by a leadoff walk to Bella Peterson. Later in the inning, Amanda Guercio doubled and later scored on a Bears throwing error.
 
The Bears rallied in the middle innings and ultimately tied things up in the fifth. Plummer, who was 8-for-11 in the three-game series, led off the third with a home run to get MSU on the board before the visitors knotted the score in the fifth. The fifth-inning fireworks started with a bunt single by Plummer. After she was erased on a fielder's choice, Frost blasted a two-out RBI single to score Payton Minnis and make it a one-run game. Weakly then rapped her third hit of the day with a single to right to bring pinch runner Ashton Thomas to the plate and tie things up, 3-3.
 
Plummer's home run in the third was just the second in her 158-game career.
 
Indiana State retook the lead with a pair of runs in the bottom half of the fifth, sending eight hitters to the plate to chase Hunsaker. An RBI single by Thomerson and aggressive base running from Guercio sparked the Sycamores.  
 
However, the Bears saved the best for last and got things on track in the sixth to secure their sixth MVC series win in seven tries this spring.
 
Up next for MSU is a three-game home stand against Evansville, set for Friday and Saturday at Killian Stadium.