EL PASO, Texas – Missouri State softball (19-26, 7-15 CUSA) got back in the win column with a 3-1 victory at UTEP (11-33, 3-19 CUSA) to open the series.
 
It was a low-scoring affair on the road in El Paso to kick off the series, but Mo State grabbed the momentum early to lead the Bears to victory. Riley Baber got things rolling in the top of the first inning with a leadoff double to right center field. After a sequence that featured a walk, a fly out and another walk, the bases were loaded for the Bears with one out. Alexis Perales strolled to the plate and knocked a two-RBI double off the wall in left center field, narrowly missing out on a grand slam shot, to give Mo State a 2-0 lead in the first.
 
Still holding on to a 2-0 lead after three innings, Missouri State struck again in the top of the fourth. Elizabeth Bobbitt doubled to lead off the inning after sending a ball high into the air that dropped in the middle of the UTEP defense. Bobbitt quickly advanced to third on a wild pitch before scoring on an Emily Gerardy RBI ground out to push the lead to 3-0.
 
UTEP scored its only run of the night in the bottom of the fourth inning, using a leadoff walk, a couple of sacrifice bunts and an error to load the bases. Then, the Miners snuck a single through the left side of the infield to plate one run, cutting into the Mo State lead. The Bears defense didn't flinch, getting the next two batters to line out and pop out to limit the damage.
 
The final three innings saw three total baserunners between the two teams as Emily Koranda and Co. held the Miners at bay to snap Mo State's five-game losing streak.
 
Koranda (11-13) hurled a complete game as she allowed just one earned run on four hits while striking out three. The freshman right-hander now has 92 strikeouts on the year, which is the most by a Mo State freshman since Erin Struemph in 2014 (155).
 
Perales drove in two of Mo State's three runs on the night, with Gerardy driving in the third run. Baber led the Bears offense with two hits, both doubles, to bring her total to 14 two-baggers on the season.
 
Mo State and UTEP face off in game two of the series tomorrow (April 25). First pitch is set for 5:00 p.m. CT and the game will stream on ESPN+.