LAKE CHARLES, La. – Missouri State (1-8) dropped a couple of shootouts on Saturday at McNeese State as part of the I-10 Border Classic. The Bears fell 17-9 in five innings to open the day against the host Cowgirls, before dropping a 12-8 decision to Nicholls in game two.
 
 
Game 1 – McNeese State 17, Missouri State 9 (5 Innings)
Missouri State and McNeese kicked the day off in Louisiana with a shootout. A 10-run first inning was all the Cowgirls would need in this one, but MoState refused to go down without a fight.
 
The Bears surrendered 10 runs on seven hits, three walks and an error in the bottom of the first inning. McNeese went on to tack on two more runs in the second courtesy of three hits and an error to take an early 12-0 lead.
 
Despite the early deficit, MoState battled back, beginning with a five-run third inning. Kayla Ulrich got things started with a one-out single, before McKenzie Vaughan launched her first home run of the year, a two-run shot to left field. With two outs on the board, the Bears kept rolling as Alexis Perales and Aubrey Johansen knocked back-to-back singles before Halle Studer walked to load the bases. Emily Gerardy came up and delivered an RBI single, which Kenzie Derryberry followed up with a two-RBI double to left field to cut the deficit to 12-5.
 
Just as the Bears gained some momentum, McNeese responded with three more runs in the bottom of the third to extend its lead to 15-5.
 
Missouri State once again had a response, adding a couple of runs in the fourth inning. Elizabeth Bobbitt started things off with single, before Ulrich worked a walk to put two on for the Bears. A Brynn Romine walk loaded the bases with just one out to set up Ella Wright, who sent an RBI single to left field for the first run of the frame. With bases still loaded, Chloe Merced earned an RBI after working a walk to make the score 15-7 before a strikeout and ground out ended the inning for the Bears.
 
The Bears kept McNeese off the board in the fourth and inched closer with two additional runs in the fifth. Bobbitt kick-started the offense again in the fifth after getting hit by a pitch with one out. Ulrich then singled to left field and a McNeese error moved the runners to second and third. In the next at-bat, a wild pitch allowed a MoState run to score. Back-to-back Cowgirl errors loaded the bases for Missouri State and a fielder's choice was the method in which the Bears scored their second run of the fifth as they cut the McNeese lead to 15-9.
 
Unfortunately, despite a great determination, the Bears gave up two runs in the bottom of the fifth as McNeese ended this one in five innings by a final score of 17-9.
 
Ulrich and Vaughan led the way for the MoState offense with two hits each, while Vaughan, Wright and Derryberry drove in two runs each.
 
Game 2 – Nicholls 12, Missouri State 8
Game two saw another high-scoring affair, this time with the Bears jumping out to a big lead early.
 
In the bottom of the first inning, Missouri State scored five runs on three hits and a Nicholls error. Ulrich led things off with a walk and Romine later knocked a double to left center to put two Bears in scoring position. A Sidney McLaughlin walk loaded the bases to set up Emily Chadwick, who recorded an RBI on a single and then a Colonels error allowed a second run to come home. The freshman Studer then launched her first career homer over the fence in left to make it 5-0 in favor of the Bears.
 
Nicholls snatched some momentum right back in the second as the Colonels took advantage of five hits and a sacrifice fly to post a four-run inning before retiring the Bears in order in the home half of the second.
 
MoState threatened again in the third, loading the bases with two out, but a strikeout ended the inning in a scoreless third for both squads.

The fourth inning proved to be the game-changer as Nicholls tallied five runs in the frame, all coming with two outs on the scoreboard. Missouri State put two on base to begin the home half of the fourth, but couldn't push a run across as the deficit remained at four runs, 9-5.
 
The Colonels added a single run in the top of the sixth extend the lead to 10-5 after an RBI double. Finally, after four consecutive scoreless innings, the Bears answered with two runs courtesy of a McLaughlin RBI double and an Elle Nelsen RBI ground out to give the Bears a chance late with the score at 10-7 in favor of Nicholls.
 
Nicholls quickly put an end to the MoState momentum, responding with two runs on four hits in the top of the seventh. Missouri State had one more chance to extend the game as the Bears trailed by five runs heading into the bottom of the seventh.
 
Derryberry sent a ball over the fence in center field with one out to cut the deficit to four runs, but the Bears couldn't complete the comeback as they fell 12-8.
 
Chadwick (3), Romine (2) and Studer (2) all collected multiple hits, while Studer racked up three RBI on her first-inning home run. The Bears collected 11 hits, including four for extra bases, while drawing three walks and striking out just four times. MoState stranded nine runners on the day.  
 
 
 
UP NEXT: Missouri State will close out the weekend at the I-10 Border Classic back in Beaumont, Texas. The Bears will face Lamar on Sunday (Feb. 16) at 1:00 p.m. The game is set to stream on ESPN+.