TEMPE, Ariz. – The Missouri State softball team fell to 0-2 on the season after their opening day at the Kajikawa Classic in Tempe, Arizona. Missouri State fell to host #21 Arizona State 7-3 in the first game, before dropping the night cap 4-0 against Utah.
 
Offensively, the Bears were led by Daphne Plummer and Olivia Krehbiel on the opening day of the 2022 season for MSU. Plummer went 3-for-6 with a walk and a stolen base across both games on Friday night in Arizona. Krehbiel was close behind as she went 2-for-5 at the plate with a double and an RBI. In the circle, Johnston was the story of the night after going 6.0 innings versus Utah in the second of two games. Johnston gave up just two earned runs, while striking out three Utes.
 
In their first game of the season, the Bears got off to a quick start, striking first against the 21^st-ranked Sun Devils. Plummer started the game with a single to second base, marking her 14^th consecutive game with a hit dating back to last season. Plummer stole second and then advanced to third on a Madison Hunsaker ground out, before taking advantage of an error on Arizona State's first baseman to put MSU on the board first.
 
The Sun Devils made their way onto the scoreboard in the bottom half of the second following a leadoff double and a walk. With the bases loaded and just one out, a walk and a ground out plated two runs for Arizona State.
 
In the third, ASU put two more runs on the board following a leadoff walk. Arizona followed up with a double, ultimately scoring two runs off of the throw and an error by Krehbiel.
 
Missouri State started off the fifth inning with a single from Meagan McCorkell, followed by a one-out Plummer single. With two on base and one out, a hit by pitch and Hunsaker walk scored MSU's second run of the night to cut the deficit to 4-2.
 
However, ASU would take advantage of a leadoff walk in the home half of the fifth inning, knocking a double and a home run in back-to-back at-bats to extend the lead to 7-2. Following a scoreless sixth inning, Missouri State put together three hits in the top of the seventh to put another run on the board, but ultimately came up short in a 7-3 loss to the #21 Sun Devils.
 
Game two against Utah was a great battle. Plummer once again kicked things off for the Bears with a single to extend her current hitting streak to 15 games. However, with hits scattered around through the innings, neither team was able to break through and score a run until the fifth inning.
 
Utah was able to take advantage of a leadoff walk in the top half of the fifth, as they laid down two sacrifice bunts to move the leadoff runner to third base. A timely single scored the first run of the game as the Utes took a 1-0 lead.
 
The Utes were able to extend their lead to 4-0 in the top of the sixth inning. Utah used a couple of singles, a hit by pitch and a sacrifice fly to push their second run of the game across, before a Bear error allowed an unearned run to cross home plate. The final run of the game came off of a single to second base for the Utes, as they shut out the Bears in the night cap.
 
Despite not being able to manufacture any runs against the Utes, the outfield play of the Bears and the stellar performance by Johnston in the circle were the highlights of a hard-fought game against the Pac-12 opponent.
 
Missouri State will be back in action tomorrow (Feb. 12) for games against #4/5 Oklahoma State and California Baptist. First pitch against OSU is set for 12:30 p.m. CT.