The University of Kansas defeated Missouri State 4-3 and 8-0 to sweep a doubleheader Wednesday, at Lawrence, Kans.The softball Bears are now 14-8 overall.

Senior Melissa Porche (8-5) pitched a complete game for the Bears in the opener, allowing nine hits and three earned runs. The Jayhawks scored a pair of runs in the fourth, but Porche escaped a potentially big inning with a bases loaded strike out to end the inning.

Missouri State scored two runs in the fifth to tie the game. Freshman Tyler Porter and senior Michelle Armentrout both reached on fielder’s choices to each plate an MSU run. Junior Jana Shewmaker struck out swinging with the bases loaded to end the frame.

Kansas answered with a run of its own in the bottom of the fifth, when Liz Kocon homoered to right center. The resilient Bears scoreed a run in the seventh to tie the game at 3-3. Junior Jessie Smith’s one-out bunt single scored Porter, who doubled down the leftfield line to start the inning.

Kansas answered the MSU rally in its half of the seventh, with Kocon’s single up the middle scoring the game winner.

Kansas scored the three runs in the fourth and four in the fifth en route to its 8-0 five-inning victory in the second game of the twinbill. MSU sophomore pitcher Lauren McGinley (4-1) took the loss, allowing one run on three hits in three innings of work. Kansas scored three earned runs off of MSU sophomore pitcher Megan Ramsey in the fourth and four in the fifth to end the game. Armentrout went 2-for2 at the plate in the second game.

MSU will face Drake in a doubleheader Saturday (March 29) starting at 12:00 p.m., followed by a single game Sunday (March 30) at 12:00 p.m. in Missouri Valley Conference action.