JONESBORO, Ark. – Arkansas State used the combination of a potent offense and clutch pitching to complete a doubleheader sweep of Missouri State Sunday at Tomlinson Stadium. The Red Wolves gashed MSU pitching for 15 hits in a 16-4 opening-game win, then withstood a ninth-inning rally by the Bears to finish off a 6-4 game two decision and a three-game series sweep.

The Red Wolves (11-5), who outscored MSU by a 36-10 margin in the series, got a pair of two-RBI games from Jaylon Deshazier and five RBIs from Justin Felix Sunday. Both ASU starting pitchers turned in dominant efforts as well, with Chandler Coates holding the Bears (3-10) in check for six innings in game one, before Nate Alberius struck out eight over seven frames in the nightcap.

Game 1 – Arkansas State 16, MSU 4
The Red Wolves plated all 16 of their runs during a four-inning stretch, turning a scoreless pitcher's duel into a second-straight runaway victory to clinch the series. Felix's two-run homer in the bottom of the fourth opened the scoring, before the senior catcher drove in single runs in ASU's sixth and seventh-inning scoring rallies as well.

After Coates and Bears starter Logan Wiley teamed up to post three scoreless innings to start the game, Sky-Lar Culver's leadoff double ignited a Red Wolves lineup that would pound MSU pitching for nine runs on 10 hits from the fourth through the sixth innings to build a seven-run cushion. Felix launched a towering homer down the left-field line, and Will Zimmerman added a two-out, two-run triple to double the margin to 4-0.

MSU responded in the top of the fifth, as Mason Hull delivered the first of his two hits in the game to open the inning, and fellow freshman Dakota Kotowski unloaded on a two-strike offering for his first collegiate home run that drew the Bears to within two runs.

Kyle MacDonald kept the ASU hit parade going with a two-bagger to lead off the home half of the fifth, and Culver followed with another two-run blast. Tyler Duncan's ground ball to the right side brought home a third run in the inning, before another two-out hit by Drew Tipton stretched the bulge to 8-2.

Alex Howard delivered the third leadoff double in as many innings for the Red Wolves in the sixth. Felix drove in his third run of the afternoon with a two-out double off MSU reliever Alex Moore.

ASU then took advantage of five MSU walks, a hit batsman and an error to hike its advantage to 16-2 with a seven-run seventh inning. Eight consecutive ASU hitters reached base safely, including a string of five-straight bases-on-balls—three of which came with the bases loaded to force in runs. Felix drew a free base after being hit by a pitch with the bags full, plating his fourth RBI of the game. Deshazier followed with a two-run single and Jake Jablonski added a run-scoring hit to cap the scoring.

MSU stopped the string of 12 unanswered runs with a two-run rally in the ninth, using a pair of walks from ASU reliever Chase Nix to set up the scoring chance. Anthony Herron, Jr., brought in Collin Clayton with a sacrifice fly, and Logan Geha plated another with a base hit to left to cut the final margin to 12 runs.

Felix finished his effort 2-for-3 with four RBIs, while Culver went 2-for-4 with three runs scored and three RBIs to lead ASU's 15-hit attack. Howard registered a three-hit game, and Zimmerman and Deshazier added a pair of RBIs apiece.

Coates (3-0) turned in his fourth quality start of the season, allowing two runs on five hits with a career-best seven strikeouts over 6.0 innings.

Wiley (0-3) suffered the loss for MSU, surrendering six runs on eight hits, despite five strikeouts in his 4.0 frames of work.

Game 2 – Arkansas State 6, MSU 4
Arkansas State followed a similar pattern in game two, scoring six times over the four innings spanning the third through the sixth to take control of the contest. MSU sliced the deficit to two runs with single tallies in the eighth and ninth innings and put the potential go-ahead run on base before Kollin Stone froze John Privitera for a called third strike to preserve the win.

After MSU starter Logan Thomazin (1-1) worked out of a two-on, nobody out jam in the second, Duncan and Tipton sparked the ASU offense with back-to-back singles to open the third. A sacrifice bunt by Zimmerman gave the home club a pair of runners in scoring position, before Howard's sac fly to center brought in the game's first run.

Deshazier added to that margin in the fourth, driving a Thomazin pitch over the wall in left with a man on base following a walk to Felix.

The Bears only offense against Alberius came in the form of solo shots from Geha in the fifth and Clayton in the sixth. Alberius (2-1) struck out eight and allowed just four hits in his 7.0 innings.

ASU wasn't quite done, as the top of the Red Wolves order manufactured two more runs in the fifth after Tipton was awarded a free pass after a Thomazin pitch was ruled to have brushed the junior outfielder. Howard also reached on a hit by pitch, and MacDonald's base hit chased Zimmerman home from second. A walk to Culver loaded the bases, and Felix drove home his fifth run of the afternoon with a sacrifice fly to center.

MSU scored in the eighth on Drew Millas's RBI bouncer to second, then mounted a threat in the ninth after Polak singled to lead off the inning. A walk to Geha and a two-out single by Sam Faith pulled the Bears to within 6-4, and Clayton coaxed a walk to load the bases.

But Stone blazed a 1-2 pitch past Privitera on the outer half for a called third strike, locking up his fifth save of the year and the first three-game regular-season series sweep of the Bears since Southern Illinois claimed all three meetings from MSU in May 2016.

Clayton led the Bears with a 2-for-3 night, while Thomazin suffered his first loss as a Bear after surrendering five runs on four hits in his 4.1 innings.

Missouri State will continue its extended road swing with a Tuesday afternoon game at Oklahoma State. First pitch is slated for 3:30 p.m. at Allie P. Reynolds Stadium in Stillwater, Okla.