March 21, 2015 Box Score
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - Indiana State made the most out of the few offensive chances it encountered Saturday, ultimately squeezing home a ninth-inning run to pull out a 3-2 victory over Missouri State at Hammons Field. The Sycamores (9-10, 1-1 MVC) snapped a 2-2 tie on Andy DeJesus's sacrifice that brought in Landon Curry with the deciding run, ending the Bears (12-7, 1-1 MVC) three-game win streak.
Despite being limited to five hits by a quintet of Missouri State pitchers, the Sycamores generated just enough offense to halt their three-game slide. ISU scored the clinching run without the aid of a hit or walk, taking advantage of consecutive hit batsmen to start the ninth, before back-to-back sacrifice bunts brought home Curry with the key tally of the day.
MSU's Jordan Knutson recovered from a slow start that saw ISU score single runs in both the second and third frames. The Bears sophomore left-hander kept the Sycamores at bay from that point, striking out a career-high seven hitters over 7.0 innings, while yielding just four hits on the day.
However, Indiana State's Ryan Keaffaber was equally as effective, limiting MSU to two runs via Tate Matheny's second homer of the season. The sophomore lefty permitted seven hits over his 7.0 innings, and Austin Conway (1-0) the reins from there, holding the Bears to one hit over two scoreless innings of relief.
The Bears mounted threats in each of the final three innings after Matheny's game-tying blast cleared the left-field wall with one out in the sixth. In the seventh, Cory Kay delivered his second single of the day with one out, then moved into scoring position on Kyle Reeds bouncer to short. Keaffaber kept the Bears off the board, though, retiring Becker on a fly ball to center to end the threat.
MSU put its leadoff man aboard in the eighth, as pinch hitter Aaron Meyer drew a walk from Conway. But the right-hander struck out Hawkins on a two-strike bunt attempt, before getting Matheny to fly to center and punching out Spencer Johnson on strikes for the third out.
The Bears mound corps worked its way out of trouble in the seventh and eighth innings as well. Knutson allowed a one-out hit to Andrew Gutierrez, who promptly swiped second for his second steal of the day. But Knutson fanned DeJesus for the second out, and Tyler Friis lined out to Matheny in center to squash the rally.
In the eighth, ISU used a one-out double from Andy Young to stage another scoring chance. MSU turned to left-handed reliever Alex Jefferson for help, and the sophomore obliged by striking out cleanup hitter Jacob Hayes on three pitches. Next, Merciez got the call from the bullpen and dispatched pinch hitter Taylor Steen on a fly ball to keep the game knotted at 2-2.
But Merciez's (1-2) control became a factor in the ninth, as the senior plunked Curry and Kaden Moore on successive pitches to put two on with nobody out. Gutierrez laid down a sacrifice to move both runners into scoring position, and DeJesus followed suit with a squeeze bunt up the first base line that gave Curry enough time to cross the plate.
Jake Burger's leadoff single gave MSU a fighting chance in the home half of the ninth, but Blake Graham popped up a bunt attempt--the third failed sacrifice attempt of the day for MSU--before Conway struck out Justin Paulsen and induced a pop foul off the bat of Jefferson for the final out of the contest.
Matheny, who registered a first-inning single in addition to his 16th career home run, finished the day 2-for-4, while Kay logged a two-hit effort for the second straight game. Matt Dezort also posted his second consecutive multi-hit performance against the Sycamores, going 2-for-3 with a run scored.
In addition to his two stolen bases, Gutierrez drove in a run with his second-inning single and was the lone Sycamore to finish with two hits.
The two teams conclude their three-game MVC series Sunday (March 22) with a 1:05 p.m. contest.
