Sept. 24, 2015 Box Score
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Missouri State homered three times as part of a five-run sixth inning that paved the way to a 9-4 victory over the Ontario Blue Jays in exhibition baseball action Thursday at Hammons Field. The Bears clubbed four home runs on the afternoon, including a tie-breaking three-run shot by Jordan Harris that capped the key rally.
Blake Graham led the Bears' 12-hit attack with a 3-for-3 day at the plate, finishing just a triple shy of hitting for the cycle. Jake Burger and Justin Paulsen also came up big for the Bears with two-hit days, while freshman Hunter Steinmetz reached base safely in each of his final three trips to the plate, going 2-for-3 with a double in the leadoff spot for MSU.
But it was Harris's big blast with two on and one out in the sixth that proved to be the critical blow. After falling behind 2-0 and struggling to generate any offense over the first five innings, the Bears erupted thanks in large part to a power surge by Paulsen and Graham. The duo sparked a rally that would see eight consecutive MSU batters reach base, belting back-to-back shots to right to knot the score.
Ryan Mantle kept the momentum going with a double to right-center field, then moved to third on a wild pitch before Eduardo Castro drew a walk. Harris followed with a long fly down the left field line off reliever Avery Chenier to clear the bases and hand the Bears the lead for good.
Burger continued the power display in the seventh with a leadoff homer to left, before Ontario rallied with a pair of runs in the top half of the eighth to pull to within 6-4.
But Steinmetz ignited a two-out rally for MSU in the home half of the inning, driving a double down the right field line before Alex Jefferson drew his second base on balls of the afternoon. Burger and Paulsen delivered once again, this time coming through with back-to-back RBI singles to stretch the margin to five runs.
All-America closer Bryan Young picked up right where he left off for the Bears during their record-breaking 2015 campaign, quickly dispatching the Blue Jays in the top of the ninth with a line out and two strikeouts to finish the contest. Andy Cheray earned the victory for MSU after logging two scoreless innings in relief of starter Jordan Knutson, who also kept the Blue Jays off the scoreboard and allowed just one hit in his two-inning stint.
The Bears' rally spoiled a strong start from Ontario's Jordan Balazovic, who blanked MSU on just two hits while fanning five hitters over the first three innings.
Missouri State continues its fall campaign next Thursday (Oct. 1) when the Bears kick off their annual intrasquad fall world series with a 3 p.m. contest at Hammons.
