EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Missouri State dropped its second-consecutive extra-inning contest Friday evening, falling 4-3 to Evansville in 12 innings in the opening game of the two clubs' Missouri Valley Conference series at Braun Stadium.

A two-out, bases-loaded error allowed the winning run to cross the plate, negating MSU's two-run, eighth-inning rally and stopping the Bears' six-game winning streak in the series.

Evansville (22-23, 9-7 MVC) took advantage of three total defensive miscues to tally three unearned runs, as well as 7.0 strong innings from starting pitcher Nathan Croner. The Aces also benefited from 2 2/3 shutdown frames of relief from Shane Gray (3-1), who struck out four Bears and stranded a total of five MSU baserunners over the final three innings.

The decisive rally started with a one-out double by Jacob Vasecky, who entered the contest just 1-for-24 on the season. Troy Beilsmith delivered an infield single, before Craig Shepherd drew a walk. With the bases full of Aces, John Privitera couldn't come up with Matthew Jones' chopper to short in time to get the runner at first, allowing Vasecky to come home with the winning run.

The Bears (15-33, 6-10 MVC) were hindered by their inability to convert baserunners into runs, leaving 14 men on base for the evening, including seven in scoring position and a total of seven over the final five innings. Jack Duffy delivered his second-consecutive three-hit performance, and Privitera added two hits, including a game-tying, two-run single with two out in the eighth.
 
After four scoreless innings from each starter to begin the contest, the Bears broke through in the fifth, using a leadoff double from Duffy to spark their first scoring rally. With two out, Dakota Kotowski boomed a double to base of the wall in right-center, chasing Duffy home for a 1-0 Bears advantage.

The Aces used a similar pattern to answer the Bears' rally and level the score. With one out, Tanner Craig lined a single to center, then moved into scoring position on Danny Borgstrom's bouncer to second. A.J. Fritz delivered the game-tying single just beyond the reach of Mason Hull at shortstop, allowing Craig to trot home.

UE cashed in on a two-out error to plate two unearned runs in the seventh. Sam Troyer singled and stole both second and third, before Pete Vaccaro's bouncer back to the mound skipped off Logan Wiley's glove to give the Aces their first lead. Moments later, a wild pitch allowed Fritz to score to make it a 3-1 game.

MSU used a one-out Ben Whetstone double to set up another scoring opportunity in the eighth. A walk to Logan Geha and a hit batsman loaded the bases, and Privitera stroked a single to right to bring in both Whetstone and Geha to even the score at 3-3.

The Bears threatened again in the 10th, as a leadoff walk to Whetstone and a wild pitch game them a runner in scoring position with nobody out. But a fly ball to right off the bat of Geha, a liner to second by pitcher Hayden Juenger and a strikeout of Privitera derailed the inning. Missouri State would strand two more runners in scoring position over the final two innings, with Gray striking out two of three Bears in the 12th following his own throwing error that positioned yet another MSU runner in scoring position to start the inning.

Juenger (2-5) suffered the loss, despite allowing just one hit over -his first 3 2/3 innings of work. The freshman struck out three and walked two in 4.0 total frames, allowing just the one unearned run. His effort followed 7.1 dominant innings from Wiley, who scattered four hits and allowed just one earned run (three total).

Up next, the Bears and Purple Aces will face off in game two of the series, which has been moved to a Noon (CDT) first pitch due to weather considerations.