CEDAR FALLS - Missouri State's Natalie Rose tossed a one-hit shutout to lead the Missouri State softball team past Missouri Valley Conference frontrunner Northern Iowa, 1-0 in eight innings, on Sunday afternoon at the Robinson-Dresser Sports Complex.
UNI (33-12, 17-2) swept the Bears on Saturday but could not solve Rose in Sunday's rematch. Rose and Panther hurler Jamie Fisher, both first-team all-MVC pitchers a year ago, squared off for the second time in as many days and went into extra innings yet again.
Rose (13-11) struck out six and walked four in her fifth shutout of the season, surrendering only a two-out, first-inning single to Hannah Borschel. Rose got Borschel looking at strike three for the final out in the bottom of the eighth.
Northern Iowa never got a baserunner to third, while Missouri State (20-21, 8-11) got two of its six hits off Fisher (17-2) in the top of the eighth. Ashley Brentz led off with a single, took second on a sacrifice bunt and scored on Heather Duckworth's single to center.
Fisher, at BCLUW graduate, finished with three walks and nine strikeouts.
The Panthers play host to Bradley on Wednesday before playing two non-conference games on Thursday at Iowa. Southern Illinois, which is three games behind UNI in the MVC standings, hosts the Panthers for a weekend series next Saturday and Sunday.