SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A surging Missouri squad used a pair of five-run rallies to seize control of its non-conference contest with Missouri State Tuesday evening, ultimately plating nine unanswered runs en route to a 14-6 victory over the Bears at Hammons Field.

Mark Vierling tripled home three runs as part of the Tigers (26-12-1) five-run third inning, then drove in another in Mizzou's five-run fifth that turned a three-run cushion into a 10-2 bulge. The MU second baseman finished his night 3-for-6 with four RBIs and two runs scored to lead the Tigers' 11-hit attack.

Missouri State jumped on top of the Tigers courtesy of a two-out rally in the second, as Anthony Herron, Jr., single, then came all the way around on the first of John Privitera's two triples for a 1-0 MSU lead.

Mizzou took advantage 17 free bases (11 walks, 6 hit batsmen) handed out by Missouri State pitching, including three in the third to set up the game's key rally. After Cameron Misner doubled with one out, MSU freshman Nick Schmidt (0-2) hit Chad McDaniel with a pitch, then walked Trevor Mallett. Zach Gibbs relieved Schmidt and promptly walked Tony Ortiz to force home the tying run and set up Vierling's bases-clearing triple that gave the Tigers the lead for good.

Vierling's one-out single scored the first of MU's five runs in the fifth, which was punctuated by Clayton Peterson's grand slam.

The Tigers tacked on a pair of runs on a Cameron Swanger pinch-hit home run, then plated two more in the eighth to build a 14-2 advantage.

The MU mound corps enjoyed a strong performance as well, as three of the Tigers' four hurlers combined to strike out 14 MSU hitters. Tommy Springer fanned seven in his 4.0 innings to start the night, before Trae Robertson (2-0) relieved with 2.0 hitless frames and four more K's to notch the victory.

MSU (11-25) ended a five-inning dry spell with a four-run ninth, getting a two-out, two-run homer from Ben Whetstone to pull to within eight runs.

Privitera logged a 3-for-4 night, becoming the first Bear since Eric Cheray in February 2014 to record two triples in a single game. Herron and Jack Duffy added two-hit efforts to help pace the MSU offense.

The Bears will conclude their four-game home stand with a three-game non-conference series with New Orleans, beginning with a 6:30 p.m. (CDT) contest Thursday (April 18) evening at Hammons Field.