SPRINGFIELD – The University of Missouri-Kansas City hit four home runs by four different players and plated five runs in the top of the seventh to turn back Missouri State, 8-3, here Tuesday, snapping the Bears five-game win streak.
The Roos (15-11) took a 3-2 lead into the top of the seventh but blew things open on one swing of the bat. A one-out double by Katherine Karnatz drove home one run, but two Missouri State errors on the play brought two more across, including Karnatz, making it a 6-2 contest. With two outs in the same inning, Ally Vonfeldt smashed her ninth home run of the season to left field, and then Lia Lombardini followed suit with a solo shot to left center to add insult to injury and make it an 8-2 game.
The Bears (16-10) collected a pair of hits in the home half of the seventh, including Bailey Greenelee’s first career homer with two outs, but Kansas City starter Mia Hoveland closed things out to improve to 8-7 on the season.
Hoveland walked one and struck out five in a complete-game effort, allowing 10 Missouri State hits.
Bears starter Gracie Johnston (3-3) went 5+ in a strong outing, walking one and striking out a pair while giving up just three hits and three runs. A solo home run by Kloe Hilbrenner to start the sixth gave KC a 3-1 lead and chased Johnston who gave way to Jacie Taber out of the bullpen.
Taber hit the first batter she faced but then fanned three in a row to get the Bears out of the jam.
Missouri State made it a 3-2 contest in the home half of the sixth as the Bears walloped four singles, including an RBI by Olivia Krehbiel. But MSU lost a runner on the bases and stranded two more in the inning before the game got away.
Daphne Plummer led the Bears with three hits, while Payton Minnis went 2-for-4 in her first start of the season.
Kansas City got two of its seven hits from Alexis D’Ambrosio, ironically the team’s only singles on the evening.
Missouri State got on the board first as Bears leadoff hitter Daphne Plummer parked the first pitch she saw over the left field fence. It was Plummer’s first career homer in her 145th game.
The Roos tied it in the top of the third after D’Ambrosio led the inning off with a single to center then advanced on a sacrifice, tagged up a fly ball and went to third, and scored on a wild pitch two batters later to knot things up, 1-1.
The visitors then took the lead for the first time in the top of the fifth with a leadoff homer to left off the bat of Faith Willis, her first of the year.
The Bears return to Missouri Valley Conference play this weekend as they travel to Bradley for a three-game set in Peoria, Friday and Saturday, to begin a 10-game road swing. Missouri State’s next home games will be April 24-25 against Loyola.
