SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Missouri State scored eight times over the first five innings to build a six-run lead over visiting New Orleans, cruising to an 8-3 victory over the Privateers in the opening bout of a three-game non-conference series that stopped a six-game losing streak Thursday evening at Hammons Field.

Drew Millas and Ben Whetstone combined forces to drive in six of the Bears' eight runs, with each belting their third home runs of the season. Millas doubled home a pair of runs as part of the Bears' three-run first inning, then clubbed a two-run bomb in the fifth to extend the Missouri State lead to 8-2. The junior catcher finished the game 2-for-4 and matched a career high with four RBIs, and Whetstone added a two-run round-tripper of his own to stretch his hit streak to 11 games.

MSU's offense clicked from the onset, plating the game's first two runs after back-to-back walks to John Privitera and Whetstone set the table for Millas, who delivered the first of a season-high four MSU doubles on the night to bring in both baserunners.

Anthony Herron, Jr., tacked on another tally with a run-scoring single—the first of his career-best three hits in the contest.

After UNO (18-20) answered with a run of its own off MSU starter Jake Lochner in the top of the second on an Antonio Gauthier sacrifice fly, Privitera sparked another Bears rally with a leadoff double in the third. Whetstone followed with his second home run in as many games, parking a towering drive just beyond the wall in right-center to give MSU a 5-1 cushion.

The Bears (12-25), who scored in four of the first five frames and totaled seven extra-base hits on the night, struck again in the fourth, using consecutive one-out doubles by Mason Hull and Logan Geha to make it a five-run game.

The Privateers scratched out a run in the fifth after Jorge Tejeda doubled to start the inning before swiping third and scoring on Gauthier's base hit.

But Millas erased that gain in the home half lifting his third long ball of the season to center after Whetstone was hit by a Brandon Mitchell offering to lead off the inning.

Lochner (3-1) controlled the Privateer offense with an efficient 82-pitch outing, limiting UNO to three runs on seven hits in his 6 2/3 innings. He received a lift from his defense, which played error-free baseball and turned a season-best four double plays in the game.

Hayden Juenger finished off the victory with 2.1 innings of one-hit relief. He coaxed twin-killings in each of the final two innings to shut down the UNO offense.

Bailey Holstein (1-2) suffered the loss for UNO after allowing six runs on six hits in his 3 1/3 innings, while Mitchell allowed just two runs on four hits over the final 4.2 innings.

Collin Morrill, Woullard and Gauthier eached contributed two-hit efforts to the UNO offense.

Up next, the Bears and Privateers will square off in game two of the series Friday (April 19) in another 6:30 p.m. (CDT) contest.