TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – On a rainy and windy afternoon at Price Field, Indiana State held on for a 6-5 victory on Sunday to clinch a series win over Missouri State, giving the Sycamores their 14^th Missouri Valley Conference win of the season, most in program history as a member of the MVC.
 
The Sycamores (26-24, 14-10) had a season-high hit output with 13 while the Bears (29-18, 19-5) finished the day with eight hits.
 
Indiana State's seven seniors - Kaylee Barrett, Lexi Benko, TeAnn Bringle, Maeve McDonough, Olivia Patton, Cassie Thomerson and Annie Tokarek – were all honored before the game.
 
The Action
Missouri State opened up the game with a two-run home run for the second-straight day, getting a blast down the left field line to go up 2-0 after the top of the first. Isabella Henning answered with a two-run home run of her own to center field, her seventh of the year, to tie the game at two apiece. Olivia Patton, Annie Tokarek and Cassie Thomerson each had a hit in the frame.
 
Lexi Benko worked a 1-2-3 inning in the second to bring ISU to the plate where Danielle Henning would single home Olivia Patton to put the Sycamores up 3-2. Patton and TeAnn Bringle also had hits in the inning to highlight the Sycamore offense.
 
Benko would be replaced by Lauren Sackett with one out in the third inning where Sackett struck out both batters she faced to retire the side.  Cassie Thomerson picked up her second hit of the day in the bottom of the inning.
 
The Bears would tie up the game at three in the top of the fourth with a two-out double followed by a RBI single. TeAnn Bringle led off the bottom of the fourth with a double to right center and would later score on a Danielle Henning sacrifice fly to put the Sycamores back in front 4-3.
 
After a scoreless frame from Sackett in the fifth, Indiana State got their bats going again as Annie Tokarek led off the bottom of the inning with a solo shot to right center to make it a 5-3 game. It was Tokarek's fourth home run of the year and her 26^th in her career which puts her in second all-time for home runs in a career at ISU. Following a Missouri State pitching change, Cassie Thomerson notched her third hit of the game with an infield single. Kaylee Barrett then walked to bring up TeAnn Bringle who singled home Thomerson, her third hit of the day, to make it a 6-3 game after five innings.
 
In the top of the sixth, Missouri State struck for two runs including a solo home run to get back within a run as they made it 6-5. Olivia Patton tracked down a line drive to center to strand a pair of Bears on base to end the inning. Isabella Henning and Cassie Thomerson both walked but that would be all for ISU in the bottom half as the game remained 6-5.
 
Cassi Newbanks entered in relief to begin the seventh and would pick up the save, setting down the Bears in order to secure the win for the Sycamores. Lexi Benko went 2.1 innings, striking out two to start the game. Lauren Sackett worked 3.2 innings, getting her 7^th win of the year while striking out five. It was the first save of the season for Newbanks.
 
The Sycamores 13 hits were a season-high as three players - Olivia Patton, Cassie Thomerson and TeAnn Bringle - each had three hits on the day. Annie Tokarek had two hits while Isabella Henning and Danielle Henning finished with a hit apiece.

Up Next
The Sycamores will conclude the regular season with a three-game series on the road at Valparaiso beginning on Friday, May 5 at 4 p.m. ET.
 
For the latest information on Sycamore Softball, be sure to visit GoSycamores.com. You can also find the team on social media, including Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.