PEORIA Ill. – Missouri State softball fell to 6-19 (2-6 MVC) on the season after suffering a 3-2 loss in walk-off fashion on the road at Bradley (15-14, 5-1).
 
The Bears put the pressure on the Braves early, getting a baserunner to third in each of the first two innings, but MSU came up short on getting the timely hit it needed. The persistence finally paid off in the fourth inning for Missouri State. Following two walks and a sacrifice bunt to lead off the inning, Kelsie Lewis did her job by sending a sacrifice fly to left field, giving the Bears a 1-0 lead. 
 
In the bottom of the fourth, Bradley tried to get something going with a leadoff walk, but on a fly out to left field, the Braves tried to tag and Ellie McCoy threw the ball on a line to Lewis to complete the double play and keep the momentum with the Bears.
 
Missouri State had yet another great scoring opportunity in the fifth inning, loading the bases with no outs via two walks and a single. However, a double play to the third baseman and a strikeout ended the inning and the Bears' threat. 
 
Chacon and the MSU defense did a good job for most of the game of fending off Bradley's punches, including in the bottom of the fifth. Following a single and error to start the inning, Chacon sat the Braves down in order to keep the score at 1-0 in favor of Missouri State after five innings. 
 
After a three-up, three-down inning for both squads in the sixth, the game entered the decisive seventh inning. 
 
Missouri State collected yet another leadoff walk before moving pinch runner Sofia King over to second on a sacrifice bunt. A couple of batters later with two outs on the board, Abby Ford's speed caused a Bradley error and King came around to score, putting the Bears up 2-0 entering the bottom of the seventh. 
 
Unfortunately, the Braves put together back-to-back singles to start the seventh, before a one-out single scored the first Bradley run of the day and cut MSU's lead in half. Following a stolen base to put runners at second and third, Bradley walked it off with a two-RBI single to left field to sweep the Bears. 
 
Ford and Krehbiel accounted for MSU's two hits on the day, while the Bears worked seven walks. Missouri State left six on base in the contest. Chacon gutted it out in the circle, tossing 6.1 innings – six of which were scoreless – allowing three runs on seven hits. She struck out four Braves and allowed just one free pass. 
 
Missouri State is back on the road for a midweek contest at Oklahoma State on Tuesday, March 26. First pitch in Stillwater, Okla. is set for 6:00 p.m. and the game will stream on ESPN+.