COMMERCE – In the final game of the Lion Invitational, the Missouri State Bears took a 7-2 win over the East Texas A&M University softball team on Sunday afternoon at the John Cain Family Softball Complex.
 
The Bears went 4-0 in the four games in Commerce this weekend to move to 6-3 on the season, while the Lions went 2-3 in the Lion Invitational and are 5-5 overall.
 
In the second inning, Missouri State took the lead on a single through the right side by Riley Baber with Brynn Romine coming around to score.
 
Emma Rodrigues (Little Elm – John Paul II) led off the bottom of the second with a single through the left side and then stole second. Kay Olguin (Fontana, Calif.) hit a sacrifice bunt to first as Rodrigues advanced to third. Isabella Arzola (Chino, Calif.) reached on a throwing error as Rodrigues came around to score to tie the game.
 
The Bears re-took the lead with Baber doubling to left to plate Romine. Alexis Perales hit a sacrifice fly to right, allowing Baber to score, while Taylor Akers scored on a double steal.
 
To lead off the bottom of the fifth, Jenna Joyce (Royse City) drew a four-pitch walk and was pinch run for by Emma Olsen (Elk Grove, Calif.). Aaliyah Wilcox (Covington, Ga.) also drew a walk and then Charli Anger (Lubbock – Cooper) reached on a muffed error as Olsen scored.
 
The Lions had runners at second and third with no outs in the inning, but could not plate another run.
 
Baber collected her third RBI of the game in the fifth with a solo home run to deep right field. In the seventh, Halle Studer hit a two-run home run to deep left field as Perales also scored on the play.
 
Madison Kloepper (Llano) tossed six innings and allowed seven earned runs to get the loss, Maddie Muller (Frisco – Memorial) pitched a shutout seventh inning in relief.
 
Missouri State used three pitchers in the game. Paityn Engemann started the game and allowed one unearned run in two innings. Emily Koranda threw 4.1 innings, allowing no earned runs and got the win. Makenzi Swick got the final two outs of the game.
 
UP NEXT
The Lions play their first road game of the year at North Texas on Wednesday at 6 p.m. before hosting the Lion Classic next weekend.