CLEARWATER, Fla. – Missouri State softball (1-2) split its two games on day two of the NFCA Leadoff Classic. The Bears suffered a 1-0 loss to Western Kentucky to open the day before bouncing back in game two with a 9-6 extra-inning victory over Army.
 
Game 1 – Western Kentucky 1, Missouri State 0
The first game of the afternoon saw a pitcher's duel with Western Kentucky collecting four hits and Missouri State just two in the game.
 
The Bears got some momentum rolling early, loading the bases in the first inning courtesy of an Abby Ford single and two walks. Unfortunately, two strikeouts ended the Missouri State threat.
 
Things were fairly quiet for both teams until the top of the fifth when MSU put the leadoff runner on via a Hilltoppers error. From there, Chloe Merced laid down a sacrifice bunt and Lewis later went to third on a wild pitch. Once again, the Bears were unable to push a run across with a runner in scoring position.
 
Western Kentucky answered with the only run of the game in the home half of the fifth, sparked by a leadoff single. The Hilltoppers then used a sacrifice bunt and a groundout to get a runner on third with two outs. WKU executed a squeeze play in the next at-bat to take the lead. The Bears had one more chance in the seventh, but ran into a double play to ultimately fall, 1-0.
 
Game 2 – Missouri State 9, Army 6 (8 Innings)
The second game saw MSU's best offensive output so far in the young season.
 
Army jumped in front early with a two-run homer in the first inning, but Missouri State would battle back. The Bears pushed their first run of the season across in the top of the third on an Olivia Krehbiel homerun, her first of the season.
 
Army answered in the home half of the third with back-to-back doubles to push the lead to 3-1. The action slowed down until the Bears offense came to life in the top of the sixth, putting three runs on the board to take the lead. Sidney McLaughlin started the one-out rally with a double to left field, followed by a Kayla Ulrich walk. A series of a wild pitch, ground out and back-to-back doubles from Annie Mueller and Kelsie Lewis put the Bears out in front, 4-3.
 
The Black Knights weren't going down quietly as they used a one-out walk, an error and a single to tie things up at 4-4 heading into the seventh. Both squads managed two baserunners in the seventh, but couldn't push the run across so the game entered extra innings.
 
With the international tiebreaker rule in place, the Bears knocked four hits and capitalized on an Army error to plate five runs and take a 9-4 lead. Mueller, Ellie McCoy and Abby Ford collected RBI in the frame to give the Bears a comfortable margin heading to the bottom of the eighth.
 
Army once again threatened with two runs on three hits to begin the inning, but the Bears called on Gracie Johnston in relief, who forced three consecutive flyouts to secure the 9-6 victory and record the save.
 
Missouri State is back in action for its final day at the NFCA Leadoff Classic on Saturday, Feb. 10. The Bears take on NC State at 9 a.m. and No. 13 Oregon at 12:00 p.m. CT.