Bolivar, Mo. – The SBU softball team took on the Northeastern State (NSU) Riverhawks Saturday afternoon for their 2026 home opener. The Bearcats split the day moving to 2-8 on the season.
 
Game one against NSU went the way of the Bearcats winning by a final score of 8-5. Teams battled throughout with the game being tied 3-3 until a five-run bottom half of the 6^th from the Bearcats propelled them to the win. A clutch moment in that inning came from sophomore Jacie Frencken as she hit a grand slam in a pinch-hit situation. Fellow sophomore Abby Leer claimed her second win of the season throwing six innings with two strikeouts.
 
In contrast the game one, the Bearcats fell behind early in game one and struggled to regain their footing. Keeley Elsea and Jacie Frencken added two RBI's a piece keeping the game within two runs heading into the 6^th. SBU was unable to complete the comeback falling in game two 4-8.
 
Elsea finished the day going 6-8 for an incredible .750 batting average. This included four total RBI's and three runs contributing on 7 of the teams' 12 runs on the day. After her stellar at-bat in game one, Frencken continued to shine in game two hitting .500 adding in two more RBI's for a total of six on the day.
 
SBU softball will be back in action Tuesday afternoon as they head right down the road to Mission University. This non-conference doubleheader will be in Springfield, Missouri starting at 1 p.m.