TULSA, Okla. – Missouri State used its most complete performance of the season to stop a six-game slide with an 11-2 victory over Oral Roberts Wednesday evening at J.L. Johnson Stadium.

MSU scored 10 times in the first two innings, turned a season-high three double plays in an error-free defensive effort and closed out the win with 5 2/3 innings of scoreless work from its bullpen. Senior Jake Lochner logged 3.2 innings of one-hit relief, while Sam Faith recorded a career day with two hits and three RBIs to lead the offense.

The Bears (4-11) touched up ORU starter Landon Odom (0-2) for a pair of first-inning runs, then broke the game wide open with their biggest scoring rally in two years. Faith delivered run-producing hits in each of the first two innings, putting the Bears on the board with a two-run single in the first before doubling home another baserunner as part of the eight-run second.

The top two hitters in the Missouri State batting order set the tone in each of the Bears' early scoring rallies as well. John Privitera opened the contest with a line-drive single up the middle, before Drew Millas laced a single to left for the first of his two hits. After Joey Polak flew out to center, Ben Whetstone coaxed a walk from Odom to load the bases, and Faith drove a single to center to bring in Privitera and Millas with the first two runs of the night.

MSU's eight-run explosion started with some help from Odom, who hit Logan Geha with a pitch, then walked Jordan Fitzpatrick and Privitera to load the bases once again. Millas ripped a run-scoring single, and Polak's bouncer to the right side chased home a second run for a 4-0 Bears lead.

Odom nearly wiggled out of the jam, getting Whetstone to fly out to left for the second out. But a wild pitch allowed Privitera to cross the plate, Faith lined a double into the gap in left-center to plate the third run of the inning, and Anthony Herron, Jr., followed suit with an RBI double of his own, stretching the margin seven runs. Next, Jack Duffy drew a walk to keep the rally alive, and Geha put a bow on the inning with a three-run shot to left to push the lead to double-digits.

Held in check by MSU freshman Ben Cruikshank over the first two innings, ORU (6-8) got on the board in the third courtesy of a two-out solo shot by Spencer Henson. The Golden Eagles threatened to cut further into the lead in the fourth, when Cruikshank allowed a single to Isaac Coffey and handed out three walks to force home a run. But Lochner quickly extinguished the rally, getting Blake Hall on an infield pop-up, then striking out Hunter Wilson for the third out to prevent further damage.

Lochner (1-0) would only get better from that point, as the left-hander would face the minimum 11 hitters over his 3 2/3 shutout innings. After a 1-2-3 fifth inning, Lochner issued his only walk of the night to Coffey with one out, but promptly coaxed the first of three late double plays turned by the MSU infield. Hayden Juenger closed out the victory with 2.0 scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and striking out a pair of Golden Eagles.

In addition to his team-leading second home run of the season, Geha scored twice and stole two bases, while Privitera and Millas finished with two hits apiece.

Missouri State will be back in action Friday (March 15) at 6:30 p.m., when it opens a three-game non-conference series with Oklahoma at L. Dale Mitchell Park in Norman, Okla.