SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Arkansas State rode a shutdown pitching performance from Coulton Lee, and a tie-breaking two-out, two-run homer from Jaylon Deshazier to a 4-1, series-equalizing victory over Missouri State Saturday afternoon at Hammons Field.

Lee (2-1) stifled the Bears' lineup for 7.0 innings, before Jesse Kutzke worked out of an eighth-inning jam, then closed out the win with a perfect ninth to earn his third save of the season. The duo combined to hold the Bears hitless over the final five innings, just one day removed from a 12-run, 12-hit outburst by the Missouri State offense.

MSU (7-5) mustered just four hits on the day, with its lone run coming via Landan Ruff's first home run of the season with one out in the bottom of the third inning. Ben Whetstone led off the fourth with a double to left field, but Lee locked in to retire the final 12 batters he faced, finishing his day with seven strikeouts. 

The Bears would put just two more men on base, as Bryan Ayers issued back-to-back walks to Jordan Fitzpatrick and John Privitera to start the eighth. But Kutzke induced a soft pop up to second from Jeremy Eierman and a liner to left from Drew Millas before getting Jack Duffy to look at a called third strike to end the threat.

Bears starter Ty Buckner (0-2) cruised through the early portion of the contest, retiring eight straight Red Wolves following Grant Hawkins base hit to lead off the first. The freshman stranded Hawkins at second following a two-out hit and a stolen base in the third, then pitched a scoreless fourth that included his fourth strikeout of the day.

But a leadoff walk to Andrew Lannon came home to roost in the fifth, as Drew Tipton delivered the first of his three consecutive hits with a double to left, before Hawkins tied the game with a ground ball to short. Another free pass would haunt Buckner in the sixth, this one to Kyle MacDonald with one out. After Buckner struck out Logan Andersen for the second out, Deshazier unloaded on the first pitch he saw, launching a back-breaking two-run blast into the left-field bullpen for a 3-1 ASU lead—its first of the series.

The Red Wolves (7-4) added an insurance run in the top of the ninth with yet another two-out rally. After Logan Wiley struck out the first two hitters of the inning, Tipton laced his third hit of the day to left, stole second, then came all the way home on consecutive wild pitches.

Tipton, who entered the game just 6-for-35 on the year, finished the day 3-for-4, and Hawkins added two hits and an RBI for ASU.

Buckner worked a career-best 6.0 innings, surrendering three runs on five hits, while walking two and striking out six, the latter also representing a career high for the right-hander. Wiley also established a new MSU career- high with five K's in his 2 2/3 innings, over which he allowed two hits and a walk.

The Bears and Red Wolves will face off in the rubber match of the series Sunday (March 11) at 1 p.m.