April 21, 2015 Box Score
COLUMBIA, Mo. - Missouri State overcame a four-run deficit to claim the first-ever meeting of ranked clubs in its series with Missouri Wednesday evening at Taylor Stadium, scoring the go-ahead run in the top of the ninth inning to nip the Tigers, 9-8.
The Bears battled back from deficits on three separate occasions before tallying the game-winner on Tate Matheny's liner up the middle that scored Dylan Becker from second base.
Spencer Johnson spearheaded the MSU comeback with a 2-for-4 night at the plate that included a two-run homer in the second and an RBI double in the Bears' five-run sixth that tied the game. Becker, who singled off MU closer Breckin Williams to start the decisive rally, moved into scoring position on Joey Hawkins' second sacrifice of the night, then raced home when Matheny's hot shot eluded shortstop Ryan Howard and skipped into right-center field.
Bryan Young wrapped up the win with a scoreless ninth, stranding the potential tying run on first with a game-ending strikeout for his ninth save of the season.
Ranked as high as No. 15 in this week's polls, the Bears (28-9) hit a season-high three home runs, including a game-tying solo shot from Blake Graham in the third and Justin Paulsen's team-leading sixth long ball of the year that started Missouri State's momentum-shifting rally in the sixth. With the win, MSU extended the nation's longest road win streak to 10 games with its eighth win in its last 11 trips to Columbia since 2002.
But to get there, the Bears had to overcome an early offensive onslaught from the Tigers (26-15), who gashed MSU pitching for seven runs on 11 hits--including six that went for extra bases--over the game's first four innings. In all, Mizzou racked up 14 hits and erased two one-run deficits of its own before succumbing in the final inning.
Missouri, the No. 14 team in Baseball America's College Top 25 this week, took advantage of a wind-aided double by Jake Ring and a throwing error to push home the first run of the game in the home half of the first. After Bears starter Andy Cheray retired Brett Peel to begin the game, Ring hit what appeared to be a routine pop up into shallow left-center field. But with winds gusting up to 21 miles per hour at first pitch, Hawkins could not corral the ball, which fell in while a hard-charging Ring cruised into second. The Bears shortstop attempted to cut down the runner at second, but the throw was wide of the bag, allowing Ring to move all the way to third. Ryan Howard promptly made the Bears pay for the miscue, bouncing an RBI grounder to short to put the Tigers on the board.
The Bears powered up to answer the Tigers' early charge, as Johnson delivered the first of two Missouri State home runs that would erase one-run deficits. With Jake Burger aboard following a one-out hit, Johnson belted an 0-1 pitch from MU starter John Miles over the wall in left-center to stake MSU to its first lead of the night.
Another MSU error and a second wind-blown double helped Mizzou reclaim the lead in the home half of the second, as Trey Harris's leadoff double sparked a two-run rally. Matt Fultz's throw to third on a steal attempt by Harris sailed over the head of Burger to allow the tying run to score. Next, Shane Benes's pop up to the left side started in foul territory before being pushed just over the line and beyond the reach of Burger for another two-base hit. Jake Ivory then made it a 3-2 game with a two-out single.
Graham made sure the lead was short-lived, lining the first pitch of the third inning over the right-field fence to pull MSU even again at 3-3.
The Tigers went back to work in the bottom of the third, using three straight hits to ignite another two-run burst. Ring's second double of the game started the frame, before back-to-back hits by Howard and Josh Lester plated a run. Benes punctuated the inning with the second key two-out single in as many innings, driving a Sam Perez pitch into center to bring in Howard for a 5-3 MU advantage.
A one-out homer by Peel--the first of his career--followed by a Ring triple led to two more Tiger runs in the fourth. Howard drove in Ring for the second time in the game to stretch the margin to 7-3.
But Perez would settle into a groove from there, retiring eight of the next nine hitters to give the Bears' offense time to mount its comeback. Hawkins leadoff walk got the ball rolling in the sixth, before Paulsen lashed a 3-1 pitch from Miles over the right-center field wall to pull the Bears to within 7-5. Miles beaned Burger, who then stole second, to keep the momentum going, and Fultz pulled a double down the right-field line to slice the gap to one run. Johnson followed with a double into the left-field corner to tie it up, then came all the way around on a pair of Lake Dabney wild pitches to hand MSU an 8-7 lead.
After Perez retired the first batter in the seventh and Alex Jefferson struck out Lester for the second out, Harris gave the Tigers life with a game-tying solo shot to left. Both bullpens kept the game even from that point, with Zach Merciez (3-2) working out of an eighth-inning jam after a hit batsman threatened to spark another MU rally. Catcher Eduardo Castro came off the bench to gun down a would-be basestealer, before Merciez picked off a come-backer, then struck out Peel to escape the inning.
Williams (4-2), who was named to the NCBWA's Stopper of the Year Watch List earlier Tuesday, suffered the loss for MU after being victimized by a pair of errors that led to Becker's go-ahead run.
Ring, who finished 3-for-5 with three runs scored, led five Tigers with multiple hits.
Up next, the Bears return to MVC play at 4:30 p.m. Friday (April 24), when they open a three-game road series with Illinois State in Normal, Ill.
