Softball Bears Fall 4-2 in Battle with Bruins

NASHVILLE – Missouri State softball (9-26, 5-10 MVC) dropped a close contest here Friday night at Belmont (25-10, 11-3 MVC) by a score of 4-2.
 
As has been the theme when the Bears and Bruins meet in recent history, it was a back-and-forth battle. Over the first three innings, Belmont scored a couple of runs on five hits while the Bruins held Missouri State hitless through three. 
 
That would all change in the fourth as Olivia Krehbiel led off the inning with a single to right field. After a sacrifice bunt and strikeout to put two outs on the board, Annie Mueller knocked her 10^th home run of the year, a two-run shot over the fence in center field to tie the game at 2-2. 
 
In the bottom of the fifth, Belmont retook the lead, 4-2, after using a combination of two hits, a walk, a fielder’s choice and sacrifice fly to plate two runs. The Bears got a runner on in the sixth, but couldn’t push a run across. 
 
In the bottom of the sixth, Makenzi Swick came on in relief and struck out the side in order, giving the Bears one more chance to erase the two-run deficit. Unfortunately, a walk was all the Bears could manage as they fell 4-2 to open the series. 
 
Mueller led the way for Missouri State with two RBI, while Krehbiel and Kenzie Derryberry accounted for MSU’s other two hits. 
 
The Bears and Bruins are back in action tomorrow for game two of the series. First pitch is set for 2 p.m. in Nashville and it will stream on ESPN+.