CHICAGO – Missouri State softball (20-15, 13-4 MVC) split the Saturday doubleheader at Loyola (13-24, 7-12 MVC) with a 13-3 series-opening victory, before dropping the second game of the series 3-2 in nine innings.
 
Olivia Krehbiel led the Bears on the day, going 3-for-6 with a home run, grand slam and triple.. Krehbiel became just the sixth Bear in program history to record multiple grand slams with her second in as many weekends, while also logging a career high five RBI.
 
In the circle, Steffany Dickerson picked up MSU's win on the afternoon after throwing 6.0 innings and allowing just one earned run on five hits to improve to 15-6 on the season.
 
 
Game 1
Missouri State 13, Loyola 3

Loyola struck first in game one after knocking a leadoff triple and scoring on a sacrifice fly to take an early 1-0 lead after an inning.
 
However, the Bears answered in a huge way with a 10-run second inning. Missouri State started their scoring with back-to-back-to-back solo home runs off the bats of Alex Boze, Krehbiel and Annie Mueller. Following a Tess Weakly double, two walks and a fielder's choice, Madison Hunsaker and Dickerson knocked back-to-back singles to score three more runs. With a 6-1 lead, the lineup flipped back to the top with a Boze walk to load the bases for Krehbiel.
 
Then, Krehbiel launched her second home run of the inning and her second grand slam in as many series, with her first coming last weekend at Evansville, to give MSU a 10-1 advantage.
 
Loyola tacked on two runs in the third inning via three hits and an error to cut the MSU lead to seven runs. The game remained quiet on both side until the seventh inning, when Missouri State added three extra runs.
 
Missouri State took advantage of a couple of walks, an error and singles from Mackenzie Chacon, Payton Minnis and Kim DeBold to extend their lead and ultimately secure the 13-3 series-opening victory.
 
Krehbiel went 2-for-2 with two walks, five RBI and three runs scored in game one, while Dickerson earned the win to collect her 15^th victory of the year.
 
 
Game 2
Loyola 3, Missouri State 2
 
In game two, it was Missouri State that jumped out to the early lead, scoring a run in the second and third innings to lead 2-0 after three in Chicago.
 
In the second inning, Krehbiel kept swinging a hot bat, knocking a triple before scoring on a Mueller RBI-double. MSU tacked on their second run of game two in the third, using some tricks on the base paths. With runners on the corners, Ellie McCoy attempted to steal second before being tagged out, but while the play at second unfolded, Daphne Plummer beat the throw as she stole home to extend MSU's lead.
 
Loyola logged a double and a couple of singles to tally its first run in the fourth inning, cutting the MSU lead in half.
As the game progressed, MSU needed just three outs in the bottom of the seventh to secure the victory; however, the Ramblers got a runner to third base following a leadoff walk, a ground out and a fly out. The runner on third then scored on a passed ball to tie the game at 2-2 and send it to extra innings.
 
Loyola ultimately walked it off in the bottom of the ninth courtesy of a single and an error to defeat the Bears 3-2 in extras.
 
The Bears and Ramblers will face off in a rubber match tomorrow in Chicago beginning at 12 p.m.