COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Missouri State softball split their second day at the Texas A&M Invitational to move to 2-7 on the season, following an 8-0 (5 innings) loss to Kansas before bouncing back for a 2-1 victory over Stephen F. Austin.
 
Alex Boze picked up right where she left off after a two-hit day on Friday, going 3-for-5 with a double and a two-run home run to lead the Bears offensively on Saturday in College Station. Madison Hunsaker also contributed two hits, including one extra-base hit, across the day. In the circle, Steffany Dickerson pitched six shutout innings against SFA to improve to 2-2 on the season and lower her overall ERA to a team-leading 1.99.
 
The Bears got off to a slow start in the first game of the day, allowing the Jayhawks to jump out to a 4-0 lead off of five hits in the second inning. Kansas came away with two more runs in the third inning, following three-straight walks to begin the third.
 
Kansas tacked on a single run in the bottom of the fourth inning, before hitting a solo home run in the bottom of the fifth to secure the run-rule victory over the Bears. The Bears managed two hits off the bats of Daphne Plummer and Boze.
 
In the second game of the day, the Bears were locked in another pitcher's duel. Dickerson drew the start in the circle and pitched the first five innings and allowed no earned runs.
 
Missouri State broke through in the fifth inning to score two runs and take a 2-0 lead over the Ladyjacks. With one out in the fifth, Plummer walked and two batters later, Boze launched a two-run homer to left field to put the Bears on top as she continued her hot weekend at the plate.
 
After a leadoff walk in the sixth inning against Hunsaker, the Ladyjacks hit a single to left field to score a run and cut the MSU lead to 2-1 after six. Dickerson came back on to pitch in the bottom of the seventh inning after a leadoff SFA walk.
 
Dickerson locked it down once again, pitching a 1-2-3 inning via a strikeout looking, a lineout and then ending the game on a strikeout swinging to secure MSU's first victory of the tournament. 
 
Missouri State closes out the Texas A&M Invitational tomorrow with a rematch against Stephen F. Austin. First pitch is set for 9:00 a.m.