Bears Drop Rubber Match at UNI

 CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – Missouri State softball fell to 9-24 with a 6-2 loss at Northern Iowa in Saturday afternoon’s rubber match. 
 
The Panthers struck first in the contest with a run in the first inning off an RBI-double to right center field, but Missouri State would respond a couple of innings later. 
 
After a quiet second for both squads, the Bears utilized a walk, two singles and a wild pitch in the third to knot the game at 1-1. Following a leadoff single for UNI in the bottom of the third, Mackenzie Chacon came on in relief and retired three Panthers in a row to end the inning and keep the game tied. 
 
The difference-maker in this one was in the fourth inning as UNI scored three runs on four hits and a passed ball to take a 4-1 lead. Missouri State went on to cut the deficit in half in the fifth as Emily Chadwick led the inning off with an infield single, and eventually came around to score after the Northern Iowa catcher dropped a pop up.  
 
Still trailing by two after five, the sixth inning saw the Panthers tack on two more runs via the long ball with a two-run homer to left field extending the UNI lead to four runs. In their final chance at the plate in the top of the seventh, the Bears knocked two one-out singles, but a fielder’s choice and a pop up ended the comeback effort with Missouri State falling 6-2. 
 
Chadwick led the way on the day for MSU with a 2-for-3 outing at the plate, while Ellie McCoy recorded Missouri State’s one RBI. In the circle, Makenzi Swick struck out a team-high three Panthers 1.2 innings of work. 
 
Missouri State is back in action next week with a midweek contest at Kansas City on Tuesday, April 9 at 5:00 p.m.