CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – Behind a complete-game performance from freshman right-hander Forrest Barnes and a rejuvenated offense, Missouri State battled back from an early deficit to cruise past Southeast Missouri for an 8-2 victory in non-conference action Tuesday evening at Capaha Field.

After a shaky beginning to his night, Barnes (1-2) notched his first victory as a Bear with a dominant finish, retiring 20-straight SEMO hitters—the longest such stretch by a Bear since Matt Hall dispatched 20-consecutive Wichita State batters in a May 5, 2013 start.

Barnes, who struck out a career-high 11 hitters while allowing only three hits and one walk, gave up single runs in the first two innings before settling into a groove. After Trent Probt's leadoff double led to a Redhawks run in the second, Barnes would not permit another baserunner until a one-out error in the ninth inning.

MSU's offense also rebounded from a sluggish start. Held scoreless through the first four frames after scoring just one run in Sunday's doubleheader split with Indiana State, the Bears overcame a two-run deficit with a four-run fifth inning, highlighted by Drew Millas's two-run triple and back-to-back homers from Dakota Kotowski and Joey Polak to hand Barnes a 4-2 lead.

MSU's big inning started with a walk to Jordan Fitzpatrick and a one-out Logan Geha single that ended SEMO starting pitcher Bryan McNeely's night. Millas drilled a full-count offering from reliever Blake Cisneros into the right-field corner to chase home Geha with the tying run.

After Millas was thrown out attempting to score on an errant relay throw, Kotowski and Polak punched opposite-field solo shots on consecutive pitches to put the Bears in front to stay.

Kotowski added to the lead with his second round-tripper of the evening—and his team-leading fifth of the season—to start the seventh.

MSU (8-19) tacked on a run the following inning when Collin Clayton reached via a hit by pitch with one out, then came all the way around on a perfectly-executed hit-and-run single by John Privitera for a 6-2 Bears advantage.

Privitera delivered again in the ninth to put the game on ice, driving a two-out, two-run double to right to extend the margin to six runs.

Millas led the Bears' 12-hit attack with a 3-for-4 night, coming within a home run of hitting for the cycle. Kotowski extended his recent hot streak at the plate with his first multi-homer game as a Bear, while Polak added two hits and Privitera finished with three RBIs.

Cisneros (1-1) took the loss for SEMO (14-15), allowing both fifth-inning home runs following 4 1/3 innings from McNeely, who permitted two runs on four hits while striking out four Bears.

Missouri State continues its road trip with a Wednesday (April 3) meeting with Murray State. First pitch at Reagan Field in Murray, Ky., is scheduled for 4 p.m. (CDT).