NEWARK, Del. -- Lauren Rowland's seventh-inning solo home run broke up a 5-5 tie and completed a dramatic Missouri State comeback against Delaware here Friday to open a three-game Conference USA softball series.

Rowland was 2-for-3 with a walk and a pair of runs scored, including her solo blast to left to lead off the final frame. Her third homer of the campaign helped secure the 6-5 road victory and lifted Mo State to its third league win in its last four outings.

Riley Baber and Kayla Ulrich also notched two hits apiece for coach Kasey Griffith's squad, while Makenzi Swick (3-2) went 5.0 innings in relief to earn the victory. Swick surrendered just three hits and a walk out of the bullpen while giving up just one run.

The Bears (14-13, 3-4 CUSA) trailed 5-1 before sending 10 batters to the plate in the sixth and scoring four runs in the inning to knot things up, 5-5, and setting up Rowland's big moment in the seventh.

The Blue Hens (12-16, 2-5 CUSA) put up four early runs off Bears starter Emily Koranda in the first couple of frames. The home squad capitalized on a three-run homer from DP Kristen Luzon with two outs in the first before Katie Scheivert chased home another run with a two-out hit in the second.

The Bears got on the board for the first time in the fourth and chased Delaware starter Josie Crossman in the process with doubles from Brynn Romine and Baber to cut into their early deficit. Missouri State would later load the bases in the inning after walks to Rowland and Sofia King forced the Blue Hens to go to reliever Claire Woods who ended the MSU threat with a popout and a strikeout.

Delaware scored a single tally in the bottom of the fourth to push ahead 5-1 after a double steal plated Maddie Diamond with two outs.

The Bears never lost focus and sent 10 hitters to the plate in the top of the sixth to tie the game, facing three different Delaware pitchers as part of a four-run, five-hit surge. RBI singles by Kayla Ulrich, pinch hitter Addison Drummond and Halle Studer as well as a bases-loaded walk by Romine knotted things up, 5-5.

Swick gave up a leadoff double to Gianno Costaro in the sixth, but set down the final six hitters she faced to preserve the comeback win. 

The second game of the three-game series is slated for 2 p.m. (Central) on Saturday afternoon with Conference USA's newest members concluding the series at 11 a.m. on Sunday with the rubber game. Both games are slated to air on ESPN+.