April 7, 2015 Box Score | Burger Postgame Video
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - Missouri State used a two-run seventh-inning rally and 3 2/3 scoreless innings from its bullpen to pull out a 2-1 victory over in-state rival SEMO Tuesday evening at Hammons Field. Cory Kay's one-out pinch-single past a drawn-in Redhawk infield brought home the go-ahead run, moments after Jake Burger tied the game with a screaming double off the right-field wall.
After struggling to generate any kind of offensive threat against SEMO starting pitcher Garret Stockton (1-1) over the first six innings, the Bears' (21-8) lineup finally clicked in the seventh when Matt Fultz's second hit of the night--a one-out double down the right-field line--kicked off a string of three consecutive MSU hits that would turn the tide for good. Just two pitches later, Burger's line drive sailed over the head of SEMO right-fielder Dalton Hewitt to bring home pinch runner Matt Dezort with the equalizing run. Kay then lined a single back through the box and beyond the reach of shortstop Branden Boggetto to give MSU all the offense it would need to notch its seventh win in nine home contests this season.
Regular weekend starter Matt Hall made the narrow lead stand, cruising through a 1-2-3 eighth with a pair of strikeouts in his first relief outing of the season. The junior left-hander made quick work of the Redhawks in the ninth as well, striking out Hewitt to start the inning before issuing a walk to Boggetto. Hall promptly picked the runner off first--the second of the game for a Missouri State pitcher--for the second out, then blew away pinch hitter Brendon Neel for his fourth strikeout to end the game.
Hall's first save as a Bear came on the heels of 7.0 strong innings from the combination of starter Andy Cheray and Zach Merciez (2-2). Cheray limited the Redhawks to a single run on six hits over his 5 1/3 innings, before Merciez allowed the final SEMO hit of the night in the sixth before Tate Matheny cut down a runner attempting to score with a strong throw from center for his third outfield assist in the last four games.
SEMO took advantage of a leadoff walk, a wild pitch and a two-out infield single to put its only run of the game on the board in the fourth. Andy Lennington worked the count full against Cheray before drawing ball four and moving into scoring position on a one-out pitch in the dirt that eluded Fultz. Next, Hewitt's chopper to the right side moved the runner to third, and Branden Boggetto beat out a nubber in between first base and the pitcher's mound to put the visitors on top, 1-0.
The Redhawks threatened to widen the gap the next inning, putting runners on second and third following a one-out hit by Clayton Evans and a throwing error by Burger. But the Bears' freshman third baseman atoned for his miscue by extending over the top rail of the MSU dugout to haul in a pop foul off the bat of Jeff Blum for the second out of the inning. Cheray then got Lennington to chase a third strike to keep it a one-run affair.
MSU's only scoring chance over the first six stanzas occurred in the third, as Fultz and Burger recorded back-to-back singles to start the inning. But Stockton, who limited the Bears to just three hits and three walks through the first six frames, induced a bouncing ball to Blum at second, who teamed up with Boggetto to turn a rally-killing 4-6-3 double play.
A one-out walk and a wild pitch in the fourth, as well as a two-out double by Paulsen in the fifth put Missouri State runners in scoring position as well. Stockton coolly coaxed inning-ending ground balls each time, retiring Spencer Johnson on a roller to short in the fourth and Joey Hawkins on a fielder's choice to short in the fifth.
Cheray and Merciez--with some help from Matheny--joined forces to thwart a key SEMO threat in the sixth after Ryan Rippee's leadoff single and Hewitt's sacrifice put another Redhawk runner at second. Merciez retired the first batter he faced on a ground ball to third, but Scott Mitchell lined a two-out single to center to give Rippee the chance to come home with the second SEMO run of the night. But Matheny delivered a strike to Fultz at the plate, and the junior catcher put the tag on the runner in time for the third out.
Merciez would work around a leadoff baserunner in the seventh as well, starting an inning-ending 1-6-3 twin-killing after issuing a leadoff walk to Hunter Leeper.
Burger (2-for-3) finished with his team-leading 13th multi-hit game of the season, while Fultz also came through with two hits in three turns at-bat for MSU. Kay's clutch hit off the bench extended his personal-best hit streak to eight games, over which the senior has hit at a .579 clip, connecting for hits 11 times in 19 at-bats.
Missouri State hits the road for a three-game MVC series this weekend with Evansville, beginning with a 6 p.m. game Friday (April 10) at Braun Stadium.
