VALPARAISO, Ind. – Despite facing an early four-run deficit, Missouri State maintained its hold on the top spot in the Missouri Valley Conference standings with a 6-5 comeback victory over Valparaiso Friday afternoon at Bauer Field.

Ty Buckner held the Crusaders hitless over 4 2/3 innings of shutdown relief, while the Bears offense used a pair of three-run rallies to post their 15th come-from-behind victory of the season in the first contest of the two clubs' three-game series.

The Bears (28-14, 11-2 MVC) scored three times in the eighth inning, taking their first lead of the day on Jeremy Eierman's sacrifice fly to shake off a frustrating stretch that saw them go hitless in seven straight at-bats with runners in scoring position. 

Connor Sechler slammed the door shut on Valpo, following Buckner's strong effort with 2.0 scoreless innings to lock up his fifth save as a Bear. The duo of Buckner (5-4) and Sechler combined to hold VU hitless for more than six innings, yielding only a two-out double in the ninth inning after the Crusaders registered back-to-back singles with one out in the third.
Trailing 5-3 in the eighth, MSU's key rally started with consecutive walks to Jordan Fitzpatrick and Landan Ruff, before John Privitera's bunt hugged the third-base line for a single to load the bases. VU reliever Chet Joslyn (0-1) grazed Hunter Steinmetz to force home a run, before a wild pitch allowed Ruff to trot home with the equalizing tally.

Eierman then plated the deciding run on a sac fly to center, before Sechler dispatched six of the seven Valpo hitters he faced to close out the victory.

The victory marked the Bears' 29th in Valley play over the last two seasons, as well as their 33rd in their last 36 regular-season MVC games overall since May 2016.

But the outcome would require the Bears' biggest comeback of the season, after Valpo scored four times in the game's opening inning. MSU starter Dylan Coleman surrendered a leadoff double to Chase Dawson on a two-strike pitch, then struggled with his command with a wild pitch and a pair of walks to load the bases. Following a strikeout, Zack Leone lined a single back through the box to bring in two runs. A hit batsman loaded the bases, before Patrick Donohue delivered a hot shot that caromed off Coleman's leg to bring in two more VU baserunners.

After leaving a pair of baserunners in scoring position in the second, Missouri State fought back in the third against Valpo starter Jon Tieman, as a leadoff walk to Steinmetz and back-to-back singles from Drew Millas and Ben Whetstone jammed the bases with one out. Jack Duffy lined a double just inside the bag at first to slice the deficit in half, and Matt Brown's bouncer to short scored Whetstone from third to make it a 4-3 game.

The Crusaders (15-25, 5-8 MVC) responded in their half of the third, as the bottom portion of their batting order delivered once again. With one out, Donohue singled and swiped second, just ahead of Jayden Eggimann's base hit to center that hiked the lead back to two runs.

The Bears would engineer several scoring chances throughout the afternoon, but Tieman found ways to keep their offense in check through 6 1/3 innings. MSU put at least one baserunner in scoring position in five of its first seven turns at bat, yet scored in just one of those. A pair of walks and a Steinmetz single loaded the bases in the fourth, but Tieman fanned Eierman and got Whetstone on a fly ball to center to end the inning. 

Next, a Ruff double started the sixth, and a Privitera sacrifice moved the runner to third with just one out. But once again, the MSU offense floundered, with Stienmetz popping up to shallow center, before Ruff was picked off third to squash the scoring chance with Eierman at the plate.

But the tide turned in the eighth, as Fitzpatrick and Ruff coaxed four-pitch walks from Alex Direienzo, before third baseman Chad Jacob scooped up Privitera's bunt as it sat on the foul line, loading the bases for Steinmetz with nobody out.

Steinmetz was a thorn in the Crusaders' side, reaching safely in four of his five plate appearances, while Ruff went 2-for-2 with two walks and Millas added a 2-for-4 effort for his ninth multi-hit performance since April 7.

Donohue led the Crusaders' attack with a 2-for-4 day at the plate, while Tieman settled for the no-decision after scattering seven hits and three runs allowed over 6 1/3 innings for the home team.

The Bears and Crusaders will meet again Saturday (May 5) afternoon at 1 p.m. in the second game of the series.