In a game where the opposing pitcher took a no-hitter into the fifth and the offense matched a season-low with five hits, the Missouri State baseball team still found a way to win, using seven scoreless innings from Tim Clubb and a two-run homer from Ben Carlson to earn a 4-1 Missouri Valley Conference victory over Illinois State Friday evening at Hammons Field.
Clubb (7-0) took a perfect game into the fifth, allowed three hits and three walks while fanning 10 Redbirds to keep his perfect record intact.
Illinois State’s Ryan Copeland carried a no-hitter of his own into the fifth, but Ryan Mantle broke it up with a leadoff triple to right-center. Kyle Paul drove him in with a sacrifice fly two batters later, breaking the scoreless tie and giving the Bears a 1-0 lead.
Carlson gave the Bears all the cushion they needed in the sixth, hammering his 14th home run of the season to right-center to extend his hitting streak to 14 games and plate Nolan Keane after a one-out double.
MSU reliever Pat Doyle opened the eighth with a walk and a single, bringing closer Matt Frevert in with six outs to go for the victory. Kevin Tokarski then sent a double into the right field corner that Keane fielded and threw in to Josh Mazzola, who relayed a strike to home to keep Dan Weston from scoring and protect the shutout.
The Redbirds followed that by scoring on a wild double play. Kevin Dubler launched a foul ball past third that shortstop Chris Playter caught near the wall. Mike Stalowy tagged up at third and sprinted home, while Mazzola cut off Playter’s throw and tagged Tokarski out at third, but not before Stalowy crossed the plate, ending the inning with Missouri State leading 3-1.
The Bears came out in the eighth to load the bases with no outs after Mazzola walked, Ben Woodbury doubled and Keane hit an infield single. Brayden Drake drove a run in with a fielder’s choice, but Copeland worked out of the jam trailing just 4-1.
Frevert pitched around two hits in the ninth by striking out the final two batters to complete two scoreless innings for his fifth save.
Copeland (4-5) went the distance in the loss, finishing with seven strikeouts against five hits.
Missouri State improved to 28-13 overall and 11-5 in league play, while the Redbirds fell to 18-20 and 3-10.
The Bears and Redbirds meet again at 2 p.m. Saturday.
