Game 1 Box | Game 2 Box | Game 1 Highlights | Game 2 Highlights
SPRINGFIELD -- Missouri State split a Missouri Valley Conference doubleheader here Wednesday against visiting Southern Illinois in the league openers for both squads. SIU took the first game, 6-2, in a marathon 15-inning affair, before the Bears (8-12) took the second game, 2-1, in another pitcher's duel.
 
Olivia Krehbiel had a pair of doubles on the afternoon and scored the winning run in Game Two. Both MSU starting pitchers, Steffany Dickerson and Madison Hunsaker threw complete games to cap a 22-inning day at Killian Stadium.
 
The Bears return to Killian Stadium this weekend for a three-game series against Illinois State, starting with a doubleheader on Saturday at Noon.
 
Game 1
Southern Illinois 6, Bears 2 (15 innings)

SIU's Tori Schullian broke up a 2-2 game in the top of the 15^th inning with a grand slam over the left field wall to lift the Salukis to an extra-inning win in Game One. It was the second-longest game on record for the Bears and longest since a 17-inning affair vs. Louisiana Tech in 1985.
 
The Bears rallied from one-run deficits twice, first on a two-out single by Daphne Plummer in the fifth and later on a one-out double from Olivia Krehbiel in the 13^th, her second double of extra innings. 
 
Annie Mueller also had two hits in the first game.
 
Steffany Dickerson (6-5) struck out a career-high 12 hitters in a complete-game effort, scattering 12 hits and walking four in a hard-luck loss.
 
The Bears had bases loaded with nobody out in the third but couldn't c94551apitalize. MSU also stranded runners in scoring position in the 11^th, 13^th and 15^th innings. 520/
 
SIU starter Sarah Harness (7-5) fanned 11 in a complete game effort. The two starting hurlers combined to throw over 400 pitches in the marathon affair.
 
The Salukis struck first after a leadoff double by Aubree DePron set the table for a two-out single to left by Jenny Jansen in the top of the first.
 
Game 2
Missouri State 2, Southern Illinois 1
In the second game, Madison Hunsaker (2-2) struck out seven in a complete-game effort for the Bears, while McKenzie Vaughn's double off the center field wall plated MSU's go-ahead run.
 
Vaughan's big hit came with nobody out in the fifth after SIU starter Madi Eberle (3-4) no-hit the Bears through four. Krehbiel and Alex Boze earned back-to-back walks ahead of Vaughan to set up the game's first run. Later in the inning, an infield hit by Kenzie Derryberry gave MSU a 2-0 cushion.
 
The two-run lead held until the seventh when the Salukis (11-9) got a two-out RBi single from Rylie Hamilton to get the visitors on the board. Hunsaker, however, closed the door with two on, two outs in the seventh with a called strikeout of Jenny Jansen.
 
SIU scattered seven hits, including a pair of doubles and left nine runners on base. The Bears were more efficient, capitalizing on their only two hits of the second game to plate the winning runs in the fifth.