June 1, 2015 Box Score
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - Missouri State extended its storybook run through the 2015 postseason with a 3-2 victory over Iowa to clinch the second NCAA Division I Regional title in school history Sunday evening at Hammons Field. Jordan Knutson limited the Hawkeyes to one hit and only two baserunners through the first seven innings, before Bryan Young withstood a late UI charge to wrap up the Bears' 19th consecutive victory and the Springfield Regional championship.
With their school-record-breaking 48th victory of the season, Missouri State advances to Super Regional play, where they will take on Arkansas in a best-of-three format next weekend (June 4-7). The NCAA will make its official announcement of Super Regional locations, dates, game times and television information Monday (June 1) evening.
The Bears (48-10) managed just three hits--a season low--but completed their three-game sweep of the Springfield Regional field thanks to the work of Knutson (6-1), who earned the victory after posting the third-straight shutdown performance by a Bears starting pitcher in the tournament. The sophomore left-hander yielded two runs on three hits over his 7.0 innings of work, striking out five and issuing just one walk.
MSU made the most of its limited offense against UI reliever Nick Hibbing, who held the Bears hitless over his first 5 2/3 innings after taking over for starter Connor Grant (1-2) with just one out in the first. The Bears scratched out a run with the help of a pair of walks and a hit-by-pitch in the first inning, but Hibbing fanned eight hitters and allowed just three baserunners to keep his club in the contest.
Hibbing, who was named the most outstanding player of the Springfield Regional, retired 12 batters in a row at one point before issuing back-to-back walks with two out in the sixth. The right-hander escaped the inning unharmed, but Jake Burger's leadoff single in the seventh handed MSU its first hit of the game and sparked a two-run rally.
Taylor Radtke took over for Hibbing--who worked 3.0 hitless innings in UI's 2-1 win over Oregon earlier in the day--and fanned Cory Kay for the first out of the inning, but put Matt Fultz on base with a walk to set up Dylan Becker's run-scoring single. Joey Hawkins followed with a sacrifice fly to bring home Fultz and hand Knutson a seemingly insurmountable 3-0 lead.
But Iowa loaded the bases with three straight hits to start the eighth, and Nick Day's comebacker plated the first Hawkeye run of the night. A pair of walks forced home a second tally in the inning, but Young limited the damage with two critical strikeouts to preserve the narrow lead, then worked around a hit batsman in the ninth to put the finishing touches on the Bears' first regional crown since 2003.
After plunking leadoff man Daniel Aaron Moriel to begin the ninth, Young got Roscetti to pop up a bunt attempt and struck out pinch hitter Taylor Kaufman to bring the Bears to within one out of victory. Pinch runner Eric Schenck-Joblinske kept the pressure on MSU by swiping second to move the tying run into scoring position, but Tate Matheny tracked down a liner off the bat of Joel Booker in center to seal the final out and a trip to the Super Regional round for MSU.
Seven Bears were named to the Springfield Regional All-Tournament team, led by Justin Paulsen, who drove in MSU's first run of the night with a sacrifice fly in the first and finished the regional with a team-best .455 (5-for-11) batting mark. Fultz joined Paulsen on the all-regional squad after drawing a pair of key walks and scoring a run in the victory, concluding a productive weekend that saw the junior drive in three runs and reach safely in six of his 11 plate appearances.
