Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

COLUMBIA, Mo.--Cheyenne Garcia hit a grand slam to power North Dakota State University to a 9-3 victory over Ball State University, but Kansas City rallied with four in the seventh for a 4-3 win as the Bison split two games Friday, March 21, on the opening day of the Mizzou Tournament played at University Field.

NDSU (17-10) is scheduled to play Ball State (15-10) at noon and No. 16-ranked Missouri (18-7) at 2:15 p.m. on Saturday, March 22.

Garcia, a 4-foot-11 sophomore from Vista, Calif., smacked a grand slam home run over the right field fence to highlight a five-run fourth inning for the Bison. Garcia finished 2 for 4 with two runs scored and a career-high five RBI. Her grand slam was the second of the season for NDSU.

North Dakota State tacked on two runs in the top of the sixth inning with Amanda Grable and Garcia providing a pair of run-scoring singles. The Bison closed out the scoring with a pair of runs in the top of the seventh on Alex Sobrero's two-run double. It was Sobrero's second two-base hit of the game.

NDSU outhit Ball State 14-5 paced by Logan Moreland's 3 for 5 effort at the plate. Jenna Isbel, Brandi Enriquez, Jackie Stifter, Sobrero and Garcia each added two hits.

Krista Menke (12-4) picked up the win for the Bison. Menke allowed five hits, walked three and struck out two.

Kelsey Schifferdecker and Jocelyn Rivera pitched for the Cardinals with Schifferdecker recording the loss. The pair combined to strike out five and walk four. Ball State was led by Jessica Craft's second home run of the season, a solo shot in the fifth.

Kansas City (10-16) scored four times in the top of the seventh to defeat North Dakota State in the second game. Kristi Lee stroked a two-run single, Bri Wyatt laced a RBI double and Cinda Ramos hit a sacrifice fly for the Kangaroos.

NDSU scratched out single runs in the third, fifth and sixth innings. Garcia had a RBI single in the third, Jenina Ortega base hit drove in a run in the fifth and Stifter provided a sacrifice fly in the sixth. Ortega went 2 for 2, while Enriquez added her third career triple -- all of which have come against Kansas City.

Katie Kelley (5-5) earned the win for the "Roos. Kelley allowed six hits, struck out five and walked three. Tabby Bayers and Menke pitched for NDSU with Menke picking up the loss in relief. Bayers worked five innings, allowing four hits and one walk.