CARBONDALE, Ill. – Missouri State left the tying run on second base to end Friday's Missouri Valley Conference series opener with Southern Illinois, dropping a 3-2 decision to the Salukis at Itchy Jones Stadium.

The Bears (15-12, 5-4 MVC) put multiple men on base in five of the first six innings but were hindered by grounding into four double plays, while the Southern Illinois (28-12, 7-10) duo of J.T. Weber and Tristan Peters provided the offense for the Salukis.

SIU got two-out RBI singles from Weber and Peters to take a 2-0 lead in the fifth, and Missouri State's Drake Baldwin answered by sending the first pitch of the sixth over the right field fence for his fourth homer of the season and a 2-1 deficit.

The next two Bears reached safely before Southern Illinois reliever Bubba Hall entered and retired the first eight batters he faced, recording nine outs in that span thanks to MSU's fourth double play of the night to end the sixth.

A Peters triple drove home Weber for a 3-1 Saluki lead in the seventh, and Missouri State rallied in the ninth, starting the inning with Grant Wood getting hit by a pitch before Jack Duffy singled to cap a 2-for-4 night in his first game since April 3.

MSU sophomore Greg Ziegler sacrificed the runners over one base, Wood scored on a Mason Hull grounder for a 3-2 game, and Duffy was stranded on second when SIU closer Trey McDaniel struck out Blake Mozley to end it for his seventh save.

Logan Wiley (4-2) went six innings in the start, scattering five hits and allowing two runs, while Cam Cratic's fifth-inning single extended his on-base streak to 13 games.

The teams are scheduled for a 2 p.m. doubleheader on Saturday.