Game One Box (PDF) | Game Two Box (PDF) | Season Stats (PDF)
 
LAWRENCE, Kan. – Missouri State softball improved to 7-11 on the season with two come-from-behind victories at the Jayhawk Invitational to close out their week with a 3-0 record. The Bears defeated Southeast Missouri State (9-8) by a score of 10-8 in the first game of the day, before beating Iowa (11-6) in walk-off fashion, 4-3.
 
Olivia Krehbiel led the way for MSU at the plate, hitting .714 (5-for-7) while driving in three runs and collecting three extra-base hits across both games. Krehbiel also scored three runs and owned a 1.571 slugging percentage for both games. In the circle, Steffany Dickerson earned both of MSU's wins on the day with an earned run average of 2.33. The fifth-year senior gave up just three earned runs and struck out nine batters in 9.0 total innings of work as she now leads the Bears with six victories this season.
 
In game one of MSU's doubleheader at the Jayhawk Invitational, Missouri State jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning. The Bears began the game with a leadoff single, followed by a fielder's choice and their second single in the early going to put runners on first and second with one out. Catcher Alex Boze then knocked a base hit of her own to left field to drive in a run. Two batters later, Krehbiel singled to load the bases and an Annie Mueller walk scored another Bear run, putting MSU up 2-0.
 
SEMO also came to play offensively in the first inning, scoring six runs on four hits, including a grand slam, in the home half of the first inning to take a 6-2 on Missouri State after one in Lawrence.
 
From there, Missouri State was steady in the circle, holding SEMO scoreless for four innings while the Bears scored four runs across three innings to tie the game at 6-6 after five full innings.
 
MSU pushed a single run across in both the second and third innings, with a single, a walk and a wild pitch bringing home Missouri State's run in the second. In the third inning, Krehbiel led off the inning with a solo homer to left field to cut the MSU deficit to two runs. In the fifth inning, the Bears scored the game-tying runs off of McKenzie Vaughan and Kim DeBold singles.
 
Just when the Bears had squared things back up, SEMO answered with a two-run sixth inning to lead MSU 8-6. The Redhawks took advantage of a leadoff walk followed by a single to eventually score their runs on a double to right center field.
 
However, much like in Wednesday's game against Wichita State, the Bears responded. Vaughan got things started by drawing a leadoff walk, before Krehbiel tripled to right center field for her second RBI of the day, as MSU trailed 8-7. Two batters later, after being hit by a pitch, Ellie McCoy stole second base and forced a throwing error on the catcher, which scored Krehbiel to tie the game at 8-8.
 
With a runner on third base and one out, Skyler Shaw singled to third base to score McCoy to give MSU the lead. After Shaw stole second with two outs on the board, Payton Minnis provided an extra insurance run with a RBI single up the middle to give Missouri State a 10-8 lead heading to the bottom of the seventh inning.
 
In the home half of the seventh, Dickerson closed the door on the Redhawks, allowing just a single before the game ended on a strikeout swinging with Boze throwing out the runner heading to second on the swing. In the circle, Dickerson earned her fifth victory of the season after throwing 2.0 relief innings of shutout softball while giving up just two hits and striking out two.
 
The second game of the afternoon saw another come-from-behind storyline, as Iowa got on the board first with two runs in the top half of the first inning. Following a leadoff single, the Hawkeyes sent a ball over the fence in left to take the early 2-0 lead over MSU.
 
Similar to the first game of the day, the Bears had an answer, scoring a run in the home half of the first off of a Boze double that scored Madison Hunsaker, who single up the middle earlier in the inning.
 
Iowa tacked on a run in the top of the third, using a couple of singles and a stolen base to extend their lead over MSU back out to two runs. Missouri State stayed within striking distance of the Hawkeyes, tallying a run the fourth inning on a Vaughan solo home run to left field to make it a 3-2 game in favor of Iowa.
 
Missouri State held the Hawkeyes scoreless for the rest of the game following their run in the third inning and MSU continued to chip away at the lead a run at a time. In the bottom of the sixth inning, the Bears took advantage of a couple of walks, eventually scoring on a Krehbiel single through the left side to tie the game at 3-3 heading into the final inning.
 
Dickerson sat the Hawkeyes down in order in the top of the seventh inning, setting the stage for the Bear offense. Dickerson helped her own cause with a leadoff double in the home half of the seventh before pinch runner Jacie Taber advanced to third base on a wild pitch. The next batter, Shaw, singled to the pitcher, placing runners on the corners with no outs. Following a Shaw stolen base, Plummer delivered the game-winning RBI single through the right side to secure the walk-off, 4-3, victory for MSU.
 
Missouri State will open up Missouri Valley Conference play next week with doubleheader against Southern Illinois on Wednesday, March 16. First pitch for game one is set for 12 p.m.