BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Missouri State softball (11-11, 0-3 CUSA) fell its series finale, 6-1, at Western Kentucky (18-3, 3-0 CUSA) on Sunday afternoon.
 
Following a stormy Saturday in Bowling Green, both squads returned to the diamond on Sunday for the third and final game of the series. Western Kentucky picked up where it left off and posted a run in the bottom of the first inning to grab an early 1-0 lead off a triple and RBI single.
 
For the next three innings, the teams managed just one baserunner each as the game moved right along. MoState finally struck in the top of the fifth inning to tie the game at 1-1. An Alexis Perales sacrifice bunt sandwiched between Emily Chadwick and Kayla Ulrich singles set the Bears up with runners on the corners and one out. Lauren Rowland then entered the lineup as a pinch hitter and hit and RBI infield single to shortstop to even the score. MoState eventually got two runners in scoring position via a passed ball and a stolen base with two outs but couldn't inflict further damage as a strikeout ended the inning.
 
WKU didn't waste any time grabbing the momentum right back as they posted three runs in the home half of the fifth to reclaim the lead. A couple of walks, a strikeout and a fielder's choice gave the Hilltoppers runners on first and second with two outs. Then, back-to-back singles for WKU drove in three runs before the Bears could get out of the inning, as visiting Missouri State trailed 4-1 through five innings.
 
MoState went three-up, three-down in the sixth and seventh innings as WKU added a couple of insurance runs in the sixth to down the Bears, 6-1.
 
The Bears tallied three hits on the afternoon, stranded three on base and struck out seven times in the loss.
 
After 22 games on the road, the Bears finally return home next week at newly-updated Killian Stadium. The Bears host Arkansas on Monday, March 9 (5:00 p.m., ESPN+), before welcoming Kennesaw State to Springfield next weekend (March 13-15). All games against the Owls will stream on ESPN+.