SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Senior Joanna Pettit hit a two-out two-run homer in the top of the seventh inning to break up the shutout, but 25th-ranked Missouri State was too much for Bradley as the Bears posted a 6-2 victory against the Braves Friday night in Springfield, Mo., to open a three-game MVC softball series.

Bradley (17-18 overall, 4-8 MVC) managed just one hit in the first six innings off Missouri State hurler Melissa Porche. Junior Elizabeth Wilson was the only Brave to reach base in the first six innings of the game, hitting a one-out single in the top of the third inning.

The Braves broke up the shutout in the top of the seventh when Pettit hit her fourth home run of the year and the 12th of her career with two outs in the inning. Freshman Emily Bergeson was on first with two outs in the seventh after she hit into a fielder's choice following a Christine Cooney single. Pettit crushed her 12th career homer to left to put Bradley on the scoreboard, but the Braves couldn't manage enough offense to erase the six-run deficit.

Missouri State scored three runs in the bottom of the first inning on back-to-back home runs by Jessica Smith and Shannon Buslepp. Smith followed a Samantha Fleeman with a two-run homer to left field and Buslepp followed with a homer of her own to give the host Bears a 3-0 lead.

An RBI-double by Sara Cole in the second inning gave Missouri State a 4-0 lead and Smith scored again in the third inning when she scored on a Bradley error after leading off the inning with a double. Smith capped the night with her third hit in as many at bats and second home run of the day, when she ripped a one-out solo homer to left, putting the Bears ahead 6-0.

Freshman Ashley Birdsong suffered the loss for the Braves falling to 10-7 on the year. Birdsong struck out four and walked three, while giving up six runs (five earned). She improved her season strikeout total to 123 on the year which ranks fourth all-time in school history and is the most by a Bradley pitcher since Heather Hahn fanned 167 batters in 1997.

Porche picked up the victory for Missouri State, upping her record to 13-6. She struck out eight, while giving up no walks and just three hits in the complete game victory.

Bradley and Missouri State close out the three-game series Saturday with a noon doubleheader in Springfield, Mo.