For the fifth straight year, the Missouri Tigers are NCAA Softball Regional champions. For the fourth straight season, the Tigers accomplished the feat on their home field.

No. 9 Missouri slipped past Illinois State 2-1 on Sunday to win the Columbia Regional. The Tigers broke a scoreless tie in the top of the fourth inning. With two outs, Ashtin Stephens RBI single to left scored Corrin Genovese to give Missouri a 1-0 lead.

Illinois State loaded the bases with two outs in the fifth, but Chelsea Thomas struck out ISU's Sara Bradley to end the inning. The Tigers added to their advantage in the sixth on Lindsey Muller's solo home run, her seventh of the season.

The Redbirds got that run back in the sixth and loaded the bases with two outs in the seventh, but Thomas recorded her 12th strikeout of the game to give the Tigers the victory.

Missouri advances to the Super Regionals and a showdown with future SEC foe LSU. The best-of-three series will take place next weekend in Columbia. The winner moves on to the Women's College World Series.