BENTONVILLE, Ark. – The 2024 Truman State Softball team started the season with a thrilling comeback win in their opener over the University of Central Missouri but then fell in the final two games of the tripleheader.
 
The Bulldogs defeated UCM 6-3 but dropped an 8-2 decision to Missouri Southern and a 9-2 setback to Southern Arkansas.
 
The team returns to action on Saturday with scheduled games against Arkansas Tech and Northeastern (Okla.) State starting at 11 a.m.
 
Truman State 6, Central Missouri 3
The Bulldogs scored all six of their runs in the final two innings to pull out a 6-3 win over the University of Central Missouri. Breianna Klein tied the game in the sixth with a 2-run single to right and was the winning pitcher coming in for starter Madie Anderson.

UCM scored two runs on a home run in the fourth inning.

The Jennies went to their bullpen for the sixth and Cassie Smith reached on a one-out single. Cameryn Patterson followed with a hit to advance Smith to third. Klein then got a ball to the outfield that scored both runners and she moved up on a throwing error to third base. She was left stranded their with one out.

Klein moved to the circle from first base in the bottom of the inning and walked the leadoff hitter. Lexi
Blackmon stole second and third then scored on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Jadyn Sheffield to take a 3-2 lead.

Ryleigh Jones led off Truman's seventh with a single up the middle and Lily Arndt followed with a hit to center field. Emily Wood tried to advance the runners up but could not bringing Smith back to the dish.
Smith would double to center field to give Truman State the lead at 4-3 and Patterson belted a home run for some insurance runs.

Klein would leave retire the potential tying run with a fly out to right field to preserve the victory.

The win was the 400^th in the collegiate coaching career of Ron Ferrill.
 
Missouri Southern 8, Truman State 2
The Bulldogs got on the board first with an RBI single by Charlotte Chelich that scored Cali Coombs.

However, the Lions plated four runs in the first and went on for the 8-2 win.

Coombs scored the Bulldogs second run of the game with a double to left field in the seventh that brought Emily Wood in from second base.

Wood and Chelich each had two hits in the second game while Coombs drew a pair of walks.

Chelich was tagged with the loss as she allowed eight runs on seven hits in four innings of work.
 
Southern Arkansas 9, Truman State 2
Once again Truman picked up early runs with Emily Wood and Cassie Smith singling to start the game.
Following two strikeouts, Charlotte Chelich delivered a two-run single through the right side to plate both Wood and Smith for the lead.

A three-run homer capped off a six-run second inning for Southern Arkansas and they would score tree more times in the game to complete the victory 9-2.
 
The Bulldogs had just one hit after the first inning and none after Brooke Nutter singled with two outs in the third.