HUNTSVILLE, Texas – Missouri State softball (18-21, 6-11 CUSA) evened up the series with a 9-1 run-rule victory over Sam Houston (26-19, 10-7 CUSA) on Saturday afternoon.
 
It was all Bears from the jump in this one as Mo State loaded the bases in the top of the first. A ground out left them stranded, but the Bears continued to put pressure on the Bearkats early. Sam Houston got a runner on in the bottom of the second inning, but Brylee Brewster and the Mo State defense forced the Bearkats to ground into a double play, the Bears' 19^th double play of the season.
 
Mo State finally broke through in the third inning, posting a single run. Riley Baber led off the inning with a hit by pitch. Following a short rain delay, Kayla Ulrich used a sacrifice bunt to push Baber to second, before Lauren Rowland drove her in a couple of batters later with an RBI double to right center field.
 
The Bears really opened things up in the fourth inning with a five-run frame. With one out, Emily Gerardy singled to center field and then stole second to put a runner in scoring position for Mo State. After a strikeout, Mo State put together a two-out rally with Brynn Romine sending a single to center and Baber drawing a walk to load the bases. Ulrich then delivered the big blow with a grand slam over the wall in left field to push the lead to 5-0. Alexis Perales then made it back-to-back for the Bears with a solo shot to left field as the lead stretched to 6-0.
 
Following a walk and a single for Sam Houston in the bottom of the fourth, Paityn Engemann came on in relief and eventually left the bases stranded full of Bearkats to keep them off the board.
 
Missouri State pushed the game into run-rule territory with a three-run fifth inning. It was a similar start to the big fourth inning with Gerardy sending a one-out single, this time to left field. Halle Studer drove Gerardy in with her second double of the afternoon, and then a Sam Houston error on Romine's fielder's choice allowed Studer to score to make it 8-0. With two outs on the board, Ulrich drove in a crucial insurance run with an RBI single up the middle to give Mo State the 9-0 advantage heading to the bottom of the fifth.
 
Sam Houston had its best offensive inning of the day in the fifth, loading the bases with a double and two walks with just one out on the board. A bases-loaded walk pushed across the Bearkats' first run of the day but Mo State still held the sought-after eight-run advantage. Makenzi Swick came on in relief with the bases still loaded and one out, and slammed the door shut with back-to-back strikeouts to secure the 9-1 run-rule win for the visiting Bears to force a rubber match on Sunday.
 
Ulrich led the way at the plate, going 3-for-3 with a career-high five RBI that included a grand slam. Mo State also got multi-hit days from Gerardy, Rowland and Studer on a 12-hit day for the Bears squad. Five of the Bears' 12 hits on the afternoon went for extra bases.
 
In the circle, Brewster earned the victory to move to 4-4 on the season. The southpaw tossed 3.0 scoreless innings while scattering three hits. Engemann allowed just one earned run in 1.1 innings of relief work, and Swick closed the door with two strikeouts to end the game.
 
The Bears and Bearkats will face off in the rubber match tomorrow (April 12). Due to expected weather, first pitch in the series finale will be at 11:00 a.m.