March 19, 2016 Box Score
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - Matt Fultz drew a two-out, bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the ninth inning to hand Missouri State a 5-4 victory over Iowa Saturday afternoon at Hammons Field, as the Bears rallied from an early three-run deficit to claim their seventh-consecutive win and clinch the series with their second straight come-from-behind decision over the Hawkeyes.
After Iowa (6-10) took advantage of a Missouri State miscue to plate the equalizing run in the top of the ninth, a one-out walk to Justin Paulsen opened the door in the home half of the inning. Aaron Meyer's second key double of the contest kept the rally alive, before Alex Jefferson walked to load the bases. Fultz then worked the count full against Iowa reliever Nick Gallagher, whose second 3-2 offering was wide of the plate to force home Paulsen with the game-winning run.
Meyer's clutch hit was the second critical double of the day for the junior, who tied the contest in the fifth with a two-out, two-bagger to right that chased home Paulsen. Moments later, a wild pitch with Blake Graham on third gave MSU its first lead at 4-3, which Bears reliever Jake Fromson would protect with 3 2/3 shutout innings.
The fifth-inning rally completed the Bears' comeback from a 3-0 hole, as Iowa struck for three first-inning runs against MSU starting pitcher Ryan Dunne. Hawkeyes leadoff man Joel Booker started the game with a bang, belting Dunne's first pitch over the head of Hunter Steinmetz in center for a triple. Booker would score the game's first run via a fielder's choice, beating out a throw to the plate when Zach Daniels whiffed on a third strike and Fultz tossed to first to complete the strikeout. Singles by Nick Roscetti and Jimmy Frankos, as well as walks to Tyler Peyton and Mason McCoy produced another run, before a two-out error allowed the Hawkeyes to score a third tally.
MSU (16-2) began its comeback effort in the bottom of the second, using a two-out triple from Jeremy Eierman to initiate a scoring opportunity. After the freshman launched a drive to center that Booker couldn't quite handle, Steinmetz drew a walk, and Spencer Johnson drove a liner over the center fielder's head to plate both baserunners and draw the Bears to within 3-2.
After putting the tying run in scoring position in each of the following two innings, the Bears finally cashed in on Meyer's line drive in the fifth after a hit batsman and the second of Graham's two singles on the day set the stage.
Fromson took over with one out in the fifth and promptly retired all but one of the first 11 batters he faced. The sophomore right-hander would fan a career-best five batters and allow just two hits, saving his biggest moment for the eighth, when he punched out pinch hitter Grant Klenovich with the potential tying run on second following a Robert Neustrom two-out double.
Booker got the ball rolling for UI in the ninth, chopping a Bryan Young (1-1) pitch to short, where it was bobbled by Eierman for an error. After a sacrifice by Daniels moved the runner into scoring position, Roscetti laced an RBI single to left to level the score at 4-4. Young kept the game even by inducing an inning-ending 4-6-3 double-play ball off the bat of Frankos, however.
Gallagher (2-2) was tagged with the loss, despite turning in 4.0 strong innings of relief for Iowa. The righty allowed just one hit over his first 4.0 frames and finished the day with six strikeouts.
Neustrom paced Iowa's offense with a 3-for-4 day at the plate, while Roscetti came through with a pair of hits in his five at-bats.
The Bears and Hawkeyes will conclude their three-game series Sunday afternoon with a 1:05 p.m. game at Hammons Field.
