TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State snapped a 2-2 deadlock with a four-run rally in the bottom of the fourth inning en route to a 6-4 decision over Missouri State Saturday afternoon at Bob Warn Field. The Sycamores answered each of MSU's first two scoring rallies, while three ISU hurlers limited the Bears to five hits to claim the final game of the two clubs' Missouri Valley Conference opening series.

Dane Giesler started both of the Sycamores key scoring rallies, going 3-for-4 with singles in both the second and fourth frames, while C.J. Huntley drove in go-ahead runs in both innings. ISU relievers Donnie Ames and Tyler Grauer combined to hold the Bears in check over the final six frames, including retiring the final nine MSU hitters of the game after a seventh-inning home run by Hunter Steinmetz cut the Sycamore lead to two runs.

Giesler's second hit of the day off of MSU starter Logan Wiley (3-3) kicked off string of five ISU hits in the fourth, as Chris Ayers added a double and Huntley's grounder to shortstop brought in the first Sycamore tally of the inning. Next, Roberto Enriquez singled home Ayers and Max Wright doubled, before Luke Fegen's base hit to center plated two more runs for a 6-2 ISU cushion.

The Bears (19-7, 2-1 MVC), who locked up their 11th MVC opening series win in the last 13 seasons, with Friday's doubleheader sweep of ISU, committed a season-high four errors in sustaining their first loss since a March 17 setback at Oklahoma State.

Wiley started the afternoon with a dominant first inning, striking out the first three Sycamore hitters of the game. MSU's offense took advantage of a pair of two-out walks and the first of John Privitera's three hits on the day to scratch out the game's first run in the top of the second.

The Sycamores (15-8, 1-2 MVC) promptly answered the MSU rally with one of their own in the bottom half of the inning, using three straight hits from Geisler, Ayers and Huntley to claim a 2-1 edge. Wiley kept it a one-run game by inducing a 4-6-3 double play, then worked around a two-out error in the third. 

MSU capitalized on Sycamore starter Tristan Weaver's fifth walk of the game in the top of the fourth, as Jack Duffy's pinch hit double to left chased home Matt Brown with the equalizing run. After relieving Weaver, Ames surrendered another single to Privitera, but retired Steinmetz and Eierman on successive pitches to strand two Bears in scoring position.

From there, ISU's fourth-inning onslaught turned the tide for good, and Ames followed with 5.2 innings of solid relief. The right-hander permitted just two runs—both coming on Steinmetz's home run to straight-away center field in the seventh—and struck out two to earn the victory. Grauer set the Bears down in order in the ninth to lock up the win with his first save of the season.

Privitera led the Bears with a 3-for-4 afternoon at the plate, while junior reliever Jake Lochner registered 4.0 innings of scoreless relief, allowing just a fifth-inning double to Giesler while retiring seven straight ISU hitters to end his day.

Up next, the Bears will meet the Missouri Tigers at 6:30 p.m., Tuesday (April 3) evening at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, in the first of the two clubs' three regular-season meetings scheduled for this spring.