Box Score SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - Bradley outhit Missouri State 8-3 and couldn't capitalize on four MSU errors as the Bears took the series finale 2-1 Sunday afternoon at Killian Stadium. Freshman Taylor Cox (Loveland, Colo./Andover [Kan.]) continued her hot hitting, going 2-for-4 at the plate to lead the Braves.
Bradley (12-23 overall, 3-10 MVC) left runners on second and third in the second inning and had runners at second and third with one out in the third inning, but came up empty in both frames. The Braves stranded seven runners in scoring position on the day and a total of nine in the contest.
Missouri State (13-20 overall, 8-4 MVC) struck for two runs in the top of the third inning. Raeven Replogle led off the inning with a walk and Christa Gammon followed with a one-out single. Caitlin Chapin drew a walk to load the bases and Jenna Schwark drew a two-out, bases-loaded walk to give the Bears a 1-0 lead. Pinch hitter Bubba Weiss drove in the second run of the inning with a bases-loaded single to left as Missouri State took a 2-0 lead.
The Braves answered with a run in the top of the fourth, but left two more runners on. Sophomore Jackie Roth (Hickory Hills, Ill./Stagg) singled down the left field line and advanced to second on an error on the play. Roth later scored on a pinch-hit single by sophomore Alison Kresl (Kankakee, Ill./Bishop McNamara) to trim the MSU lead to 2-1. Bradley had runners at first and second after Cox had a two-out single to chase starter Lauren Supak from the circle. Natalie Rose entered the contest in relief for MSU and retired the next batter as the Bears took a 2-1 lead into the fifth inning.
Bradley left a single runner on in the both the fifth and sixth inning and Missouri State's only other hit in the game besides the two singles in the third inning came with two outs in the sixth as neither team was able to push another run across.
Freshman Mackenzie Camp (Mapleton, Ill./Limestone) scattered three hits over four innings of work in relief of Bradley starter Brandi Ore (Versailles, Ky./Paul Laurence Dunbar). Ore took the loss, falling to 2-7 on the season, as she struck out two and walked two in two innings. Camp struck out three and walked three.
Rose picked up the victory for Missouri State, surrendering just one hit in three and one-third innings in relief to improve to 3-7 on the year.
Bradley returns to action Wednesday when the Braves host SIU Edwardsville at 3 p.m. at Laura Bradley Park in the final non-conference game of the season.
