STILLWATER, Okla. -- Kevin Medrano announced his return to the Missouri State lineup with a two-run triple in the third inning and right-handers Clay Murphy and Nick Petree held Oklahoma State to two runs on six hits as the Bears scored a 3-2 baseball victory over the Cowboys Tuesday afternoon at Reynolds Stadium in Stillwater, Okla.

    The Bears improved to 5-3 with their fourth victory in a row and first against OSU (6-2) in Stillwater in six tries.

    Neither team had a hit until Aaron Conway’s bunt single in the third followed Travis McComack being hit by a pitch and gave the Bears two runners on with one out.    Medrano, after missing the previous six games with a shoulder injury, gave the Bears a 2-0 lead with his triple into the right field corner.

    Murphy (1-1) made the 2-0 advantage hold up through five innings, yielding three hits and a run while striking out four. All three of his hits came in the fourth inning, when the OSU’s Dane Phillips pulled a single through MSU’s defensive shift to score Davis Duren after a leadoff base knock to make it a 2-1 game.

    The Bears got some insurance in the eighth with Brock Chaffin roping a one-out double to right center and pinch-runner Patrick Drake scoring on pinch-hitter Trey Massenberg’s two-out single for a 3-1 lead.    

    Petree took over in the sixth and held the Cowboys scoreless until the bottom of the eighth when Duren got him for a two-out solo homer that ended the freshman’s personal scoreless streak at 11 innings.

    Missouri State left the bases loaded in the seventh and eighth frames and Oklahoma State’s Luis Uribe led off the ninth with a single to get the tying run on base. Petree buckled down, getting a strikeout and two fly outs to secure his second save of the year and the win for Missouri State.

    Conway led the offense with a 3-for-5 day at the plate, and Medrano made several solid defensive plays while playing third base for the first time since early in his freshman season.

    OSU’s Andrew Heck (0-1) took the loss after throwing seven innings and allowing two runs while striking out eight.

    The Bears finished the games with 10 hits, the seventh time in eight games they have had at least that many.

    Missouri State opens the home season Friday at 3 p.m. against North Dakota (0-3).