April 11, 2015 Box Score
EVANSVILLE, Ind. - Missouri State wrapped up its third-straight Missouri Valley Conference series win Saturday with a 7-5 victory over Evansville in 10 innings at Braun Stadium. Dylan Becker's two-out, two-run single snapped a 5-5 tie, and Bryan Young finished off the Bears' 11th win in 12 games with a perfect home half of the 10th.
Becker, who went 3-for-5 with three RBIs on the day, drove Brent Jurceka's 0-1 pitch through the right side of the infield to bring home Matt Dezort and Blake Graham after Spencer Johnson's leadoff single started the rally. Jurceka (1-2) struck out Jake Burger for the first out, then retired Aaron Meyer on a bouncer to second before hitting Graham with a pitch and issuing a walk to Justin Paulsen to load the bases.
Young made quick work of the Aces (16-14, 5-6 MVC) in the bottom half of the inning, recording his sixth strikeout in just 3.0 innings of work to earn his fourth victory of the season. Combined with nine strikeouts from MSU starter Matt Hall, the two Bears hurlers combined to fan 15 UE batters.
The Bears' late-inning heroics came on the heels of an Evansville comeback that erased a 5-1 MSU lead. Shain Showers doubled to start the bottom of the sixth, sparking a UE offense that had been held hitless for three straight innings by Hall. Eric McKibban followed Showers' double with an RBI single, and the Aces struck for two more tallies in the seventh to pull to within a single run. Kevin Kaczmarski lined a run-scoring single to right for the first run, before Showers skied a sacrifice fly to center to bring in Jarrod Perry and make it a 5-4 game.
Young would take over for Hall in the eighth and appeared to be in full control after striking out the first two hitters he faced. But a walk to No. 9 hitter Spencer Nelson kept the inning alive, and a perfectly-executed hit-and-run by Josh Jyawook--plus a defensive miscue--helped UE draw even with the Bears. Jyawook's liner into right-center fell in front of Tate Matheny, who misplayed the ball for his first error of the season, allowing Nelson to race all the way home with the equalizing run.
That's when the Bears' closer locked things into place, striking out Perry for the final out of the inning, stranding the potential go-ahead run on second. The sophomore would not allow another baserunner, striking out two more Aces in the ninth before fanning Max Foley in the 10th for his sixth of the day.
Missouri State (23-8, 6-2 MVC), which struck for eight runs in the third inning to take control of Friday's series-opening victory, got its offense in gear again in the third after UE starter Patrick Schnieders retired the first six hitters of the game in order. Graham, who scored three times with a 2-for-4 performance Saturday, started a three-run rally with a one-out single before Paulsen drove a 3-2 pitch from his junior college teammate over the wall in right-center to put the Bears on top, 2-1. Becker kept the rally hot by drawing a walk, before Kaczmarski lost a Joey Hawkins fly ball to center in the sun for a two-base error. Matheny then made it a two-run game with a sac fly to center.
Three consecutive two-out hits produced two more MSU runs in the fourth, with Graham once again sparking the surge. Paulsen's liner to right fell in for a hit, and Becker shot a base hit to left to bring home Graham for a 5-1 Bears cushion.
Hall maintained the lead through the fifth, striking out two batters in each of the first three innings and holding UE without a hit for four frames following Foley's leadoff single in the second. Overall, the lefty scattered seven hits and allowed four earned runs over his 6.1 innings before handing the ball off to his bullpen. Zach Merciez inherited a two-on, one-out situation in the seventh, preserving the lead by inducing an inning-ending grounder to second with the potential tying run at third.
MSU, which pounded out a season-high 17 hits in Friday's 13-2 victory to open the series, recorded 10 hits for the 16th time in 31 games. Paulsen (2-for-3) and Graham (2-for-4) each contributed two-hit games in addition to Becker's fifth three-hit performance of the year.
Perry went 2-for-5 with two runs scored, while Showers finished 2-for-4 with a pair of RBIs to lead the Purple Aces.
The two clubs will square off for a third and final time Sunday (April 12) with a 1 p.m. game.
