MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – Missouri State's four-game trip to Tennessee came to an end with a third-consecutive shutout defeat Sunday afternoon, as three Middle Tennessee pitchers combined on a 4-0 white-washing of the Bears at Reese Smith Jr. Field.
Justin Medlin limited the Bears (3-4) to three hits and just four total baserunners over the first 5 2/3 innings, before Walker Armstrong and David Zoz on 3.1 scoreless innings of relief to close out the victory. Hunter Sullivan spearheaded the Blue Raiders' offense by reaching base in each of his four trips to the dish, finishing 3-for-3 with a walk, a run scored, an RBI and three stolen bases.
After Medlin (1-1) and MSU starter Peyton Carson (0-2) combined for two scoreless innings to start the day, the Blue Raiders received a spark from the bottom of its batting order to ignite a two-run rally in the home half of the third. Sullivan's liner caromed off the first-base bag for a leadoff single, before Jake Hagenow delivered a double down the left-field line to set up the threat. Fausto Lopez plated the first run of the game with a sacrifice squeeze, and DJ Wright made it a 2-0 contest with a long sac fly to right.
The Blue Raiders (3-4) added to their lead the following inning, after three consecutive hitters reached base safely. Greg Bennett started the string with a one-out single and the first of four MTSU stolen bases on the day. Cole Escher drew a walk, and Sullivan struck again with a run-scoring single to right for a three-run Raiders bulge.
Medlin yielded a two-out triple to Ben Whetstone for the first MSU hit in the fourth, but induced an inning-ending liner to left from Dakota Kotowski to keep the Bears off the board. A hit batsman and a Mason Auer infield hit started another two-out threat for the Bears in the fifth, but the Raiders lefty once again avoided damage, this time by retiring Greg Ziegler on a fly ball to center.
Missouri State would mount its best scoring chance in the seventh, as Drake Baldwin led off the frame with the first of three straight singles by Bears hitters. After Joey Polak and Mason Hull added hits to load the bases, Armstrong retired Auer on an infield pop-up, then induced back-to-back ground balls to extend MSU's dry spell.
MTSU tacked on an insurance run in the seventh courtesy of a JT Mabry RBI single after Wright drew his second walk of the game to start the inning.
Baldwin paced MSU with a 2-for-4 day at the plate, while Grant Wood extended his hit streak to seven-straight games to start his Bears career. Carson suffered the loss for MSU, permitting three runs on five hits with four strikeouts over his 3.1 innings. Nick Schmidt allowed just one run on one hit while fanning four Blue Raiders in his 2 2/3 innings of relief work, and Trey Ziegenbein turned in 2.0 scoreless frames.
Up next, the Bears will travel to Tulsa for a 3 p.m., Tuesday (Feb. 25) non-conference tilt against Oral Roberts at J.L. Johnson Stadium.
