BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Missouri State softball (8-6) split the final day of the Green and Gold Classic, falling 9-5 to host UAB before bouncing back with a huge 3-2 victory over No. 25 Ole Miss.
 
Game 1
UAB 9, Missouri State 5
Missouri State faced host UAB in the first game of two on Sunday morning. The scoring came fast and furious in the second and third innings to decide this one.

After a quiet first inning-and-a-half, UAB used five hits and two walks to post a four-run inning and take the early lead over the Bears. A two-run homer and a couple of RBI singles drove the runs home as the Blazers left two on base after MoState's defense threw out a second UAB runner attempting to come home on the RBI single.
 
Missouri State didn't flinch at the early deficit, answering with four runs of its own in the top of the third inning. Emily Gerardy got on as the leadoff batter via an error and Mya January drove her home with a double to the wall in left center field. Following two quick outs, Lauren Rowland drew a walk to put runners on the corners and Riley Baber then delivered an RBI double over the glove of the right fielder to make it a 4-2 ballgame. With two baserunners in scoring position, Aubrey Johansen knocked a two-RBI single to center field to knot the game at 4-4.
 
The flurry of scoring continued as UAB kept its offensive momentum in the home half of the third, posting a five-run inning to grab the lead right back. The Blazers capitalized on three hits, a couple of walks and a few errant pitches to take a 9-4 lead with three innings in the books.
 
MoState's defense settled back in and kept UAB off the board for the rest of the game, but the Bears couldn't overcome the five-run deficit. The Bears pushed a run across in the top of the sixth on an Emily Chadwick pinch-hit, two-out RBI single through the right side to make it a 9-5 game, but MoState wasn't able to inflict more damage with bases loaded and no outs earlier in the inning.
 
The Bears once again threatened in the bottom of the seventh, but the timely hit eluded Missouri State. A Baber leadoff double, a Halle Studer walk and a wild pitch put two Bears in scoring position with one out, but a couple of strikeouts ended the game as the Bears fell 9-5.
 
Baber paced the MoState offense with three hits, while Johansen drove in two of the Bears' runs on the morning. The Bears posted nine hits and drew four free passes in the game but stranded 10 on base in the loss.
 
Game 2
Missouri State 3, No. 25 Ole Miss 2
Missouri State closed out the Green and Gold Classic with an upset win over No. 25 Ole Miss.
 
The Rebels jumped in front first, sending an RBI single up the middle with two outs to make it 1-0 for the visitors on the scoreboard in the top of the first inning.
 
Things remained quiet on both sides until the Bears used a two-out rally to post three runs in the third inning. With two quick outs on the board via strikeouts, Rowland and Studer drew walks to keep the inning alive. Baber then walked up to the plate and launched a three-run homer over the wall in left field to give MoState a 3-1 lead with three innings in the books.
 
From there, the pitching duo of Brylee Brewster and Emily Koranda and the MoState defense did their job to make the lead hold up. A leadoff homer for the Rebels in the top of the fifth closed the gap to one run, but the defense locked down and worked around its one error in the game to close the inning with no more damage done.
 
Still leading by one and needing just three outs to secure the upset win, the Bears had to work for every out. After a leadoff walk, a ground out, a single and a stolen base put runners on second and third with just one out, Koranda slammed the door shut as she induced a pop up and ground out to finish off the save opportunity as MoState won 3-2.
 
Baber drove in all three runs in the game for the Bears courtesy of her three-run longball. Baber, Alexis Perales and Gerardy accounted for MoState's four hits in the ballgame.
 
In the circle, the freshman tandem of Brewster and Koranda led the way. Brewster tossed 4.2 innings, allowing just two earned runs and striking out three as she earned the win, her third of the season. Koranda came on in relief and earned her second career save, hurling 2.1 scoreless innings while allowing just two hits and fanning two Rebels.
 
UP NEXT
The Bears go on the road next week to the City of Lights Tournament hosted by Northwestern State. MoState will face Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Northwestern State on both Friday (Feb. 27) and Saturday (Feb. 28). The two games against NSU are slated to stream on ESPN+.