NORMAN, Okla. – Missouri State scored 11 unanswered runs to overcome an eight-run deficit and secure an improbable 11-8 victory in the opening game of its non-conference series with Oklahoma Friday evening at L. Dale Mitchell Park.

Held scoreless on two hits through the first six innings, the Bears (5-11) erupted for seven runs in the seventh and three more in the eighth to notch its second-straight road victory. Logan Geha's grand slam capped MSU's seventh-inning rally that saw it plate six two-out tallies to slice the deficit to one run, and Joey Polak's double to left knotted the score the following inning.

With one out and the bases loaded, Anthony Herron, Jr., chopped a ground ball to third and beat the relay throw to first to bring home Drew Millas with the go-ahead run. Jack Duffy followed suit, legging out a single on a bouncer to the right side to chase home Polak and make it a 10-8 game.

From there Connor Sechler (1-1) shut down an OU offense that scored eight runs on 12 hits through the first five innings, but struggled down the stretch in logging just two hits over the last four frames.

Ben Whetstone came through with another two-out, run-producing hit in the ninth to give Sechler some additional breathing room. The Bears sophomore closer struck out five over the final 3.0 innings to lock up the victory in a game that featured 25 combined walks and 456 total pitches over four hours and thirty-five minutes.

The final outcome was anything but expected, as OU scored single runs in the first and third with clutch two-out hitting, before breaking the game wide open with a five-run fourth. Justin Mitchell delivered two of the biggest blows for the Sooners, lining an RBI single to left off MSU start Davis Schwab to open the scoring, then driving a two-run double down the right field line as part of OU's six-hit attack in the fourth.

Sooner starter Cade Cavalli wouldn't need much help from his offense in the early stages of the contest, as the sophomore right-hander shackled the MSU lineup over his 5 1/3 innings. Sam Faith recorded the only two hits of the night against Cavalli, who matched a career high with seven strikeouts.

The Bears had their chances early in the contest, putting runners in scoring position in four of the first six innings. Faith's first hit—a one-out single—followed a hit batsman to start the second, with both baserunners advancing when right fielder Tanner Tredaway misplayed the ball. But Cavalli promptly squashed the threat by striking out three of the next four batters to preserve a 1-0 lead.

MSU would leave five additional baserunners aboard over the ensuing four innings, with Cavalli once again posting back-to-back strikeouts to strand Faith in the fourth following his one-out double.

The Sooners, who doubled their lead to 2-0 in the third on Diego Muniz's two-out, RBI single, appeared poised to put the game on ice with their fourth-inning barrage that saw five-straight batters reach safely. With one out, Jordan Vujovich drew his third walk in as many plate appearances to set the wheels in motion. Brandon Zaragoza followed with the first of four-consecutive OU hits, including a two-run single by Brylie Ware and Mitchell's double that made it a 6-0 game. MSU reliever Nate Witherspoon stopped the bleeding by retiring Muniz on a ground ball, but Conor McKenna lashed his third hit of the night to score the seventh OU run.

Led by Vujovich, who added a single in the fifth and a fourth walk that forced home a run in the sixth, the top-third of the Sooner batting order combined to reach safely via a hit or walk in 11 of its first 15 plate appearances to help establish the 8-0 bulge. Zaragoza added a pair of hits and a walk, while Ware went 1-for-3 with three walks and two runs scored.

But after the Sooners methodically built their lead over a dominant six-inning stretch, the Bears offense roared to life and nearly erased the entire deficit in a span of just 10 minutes. Held to just two hits over the first six frames, MSU would find new life in the seventh, as Dakota Kotowski reached on an error, John Privitera lined base hit and Millas walked to set up the rally. Polak broke up the shutout bid with a sacrifice fly to center, and Herron came through with a key two-out single to plate a run and keep the inning alive.

Next, Duffy battled back from on 0-2 hole to coax a bases-loaded walk from OU reliever Aaron Brooks, before Geha launched his third home run in four games to clear the bases and pull the Bears to within 8-7.

The top of the eighth started with a double by Privitera, a balk and a walk to Millas, before Polak came within a few feet of recording his first home run as a Bear, instead settling for an RBI double. Following a ground ball to second by Whetstone and an intentional pass to Faith, Herron bounced a grounder to third and narrowly beat the relay to first to extend the inning and put the Bears in front to stay.

Privitera finished 2-for-5 with two runs scored, while Herron, Duffy and Polak each recorded a pair of RBIs.

McKenna led OU with a 3-for-4 night, and Mitchell registered three RBIs for the Sooners.

Up next, the Bears and Sooners will face off in game two of the series Saturday at 2 p.m.