The Missouri State baseball team scored the first four runs of the game but could not keep Arkansas off the scoreboard as the Razorbacks scored multiple runs in four consecutive innings on the way to a 14-6 win Wednesday evening at Baum Stadium in Fayetteville, Ark.
After Aaron Meade got Missouri State out of a two-on, no-out jam in the bottom of the second, the Bears responded in a big way in the third. Matt Welch led off with a double off Sam Murphy, who had retired the first six batters of the game, and Ryan Mantle hustled to reach safely on a sac bunt attempt to put runners on the corners. Josh Mazzola followed that by hammering a home run to left, sending a drive through a stiff wind blowing in from right-center to give the Bears a 3-0 lead. Nolan Keane added a one-out single, stole second and moved to third on a throwing error before scoring on Ben Carlson’s two-out bunt single.
The Razorbacks loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the third and pushed three runs across. UA got the leadoff man on with an error before Meade walked a batter and hit three more to force two runs home with one out and bring in Sean Toler from the bullpen. Toler allowed just one more across on an RBI ground out from Tim Smalling to keep the Bears ahead 4-3 after three innings.
Two walks and a single gave UA the bases loaded with no outs again in the fourth. Brant Combs came in to relieve Toler and struck out Ben Tschepikow before Logan Forsythe gave Arkansas the lead with a two-run single. Jeff Nutt added a two-out RBI single and Casey Coon slammed a two-run homer to left-center that capped a five-run inning and made the score 8-4 in favor of the home team.
The Bears had two runners in scoring position with no outs in the fifth after a single, a hit batter and a passed ball. Brayden Drake and Carlson drove in Ben Woodbury and Keane with consecutive sacrifice flies to pull Missouri State within two at 8-6.
Arkansas got both runs back in the bottom of the fifth when Mazzola fired a wild throw home trying to cut off a run, and added two more on Scott Lyons’ two-run double with one out in the sixth. Tschepikow knocked an RBI single two batters later to give Arkansas a 13-6 lead through six.
Ryan Cisterna added a solo homer in the eighth for the final score.
Missouri State saw its six-game win streak come to an end and fell to 30-14, while Arkansas moved to 27-18.
The Bears travel to Indiana State (13-26, 6-9 Missouri Valley Conference) this weekend for a three-game set.
