COLUMBIA, Mo. – Missouri used a strong effort from its pitching staff and a first-inning rally as a springboard to a 6-2 victory over Missouri State, completing a two-game season sweep of the Bears Tuesday evening at Taylor Stadium.

The Tigers (27-15-1) struck for two runs in their first turn at bat, then used a Kameron Misner solo shot to spark a three-run rally in the sixth that stretched the led to five runs. Misner finished 2-for-4 with two RBIs and a pair of runs scored, while Cameron Swanger drove in two runs with his two-out double in the sixth to power the MU offense.

On the mound, three Tiger hurlers combined to limit the Bears (13-27) to just four baserunners through the first seven innings. In his first start of the season, Jordan Gubelman held MSU hitless over the first three frames, before Tommy Springer (4-0) followed with three innings of two-hit relief to pick up his second win in as many appearances against MSU.

After Paul Gomez turned a nine-pitch battle with MSU starter Hayden Juenger into a leadoff double to start the home half of the first, Chris Cornelius singled and Misner brought in the first run of the game with a bouncer to first. Peter Zimmerman's grounder to second brought in Cornelius for the second MU tally.

Gubelman was in control throughout his three innings, allowing just two walks, and Springer permitted a pair of Bears singles in his three-inning stint.

MSU would not put its first runner in scoring position until Jack Duffy's two-out double spark an eighth-inning threat. Pinch hitter Anthony Herron, Jr., then drew a walk, but Trae Robertston got Drew Millas to swing and miss at a third strike to keep the Bears off the board.

MU added an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth, cashing in on a Misner double and a Chad McDaniel sac fly to push the margin to 6-0.

The Bears broke the scoring seal in the ninth, using a leadoff walk to Ben Whetstone and back-to-back hits from Logan Geha and Dakota Kotowski to put its first run on the board. Brooks Zimmerman's double-play grounder to second brought in a second run, but Konnor Ash came up with a strikeout to extinguish the late MSU threat.

Juenger (2-3) took the loss for the Bears after allowing two runs on two hits and a walk in his 2.0 innings of work. MSU received a lift from the freshmen trio of Ben Cruikshank, Forrest Barnes and Nick Schmidt, who each turned in scoreless innings of relief.

Duffy led the Bears with a 2-for-4 night, finishing as the lone MSU hitter to log multiple hits. Whetstone finished 0-for-2, as his career-best 13-game hit streak came to an end.

The Bears return to Hammons Field to open a three-game Missouri Valley Conference series against Bradley Friday (April 26) at 2 p.m. (CDT).