SPRINGFIELD – Missouri State senior Logan Wiley threw seven shutout innings in his final home start and Dakota Kotowski swatted a two-run home run in the second inning Thursday to give the Bears a 2-1 victory in the series opener with Valparaiso at Hammons Field.

Wiley (5-4) was perfect through four innings and allowed just three baserunners on the day – all in the fifth – while moving to seventh on Missouri State's career list with his 40th start and up to eighth in innings pitched.

The Springfield native struck out a season-high seven batters, and the Bears (18-22, 8-13 Missouri Valley Conference) turned a double play to end the fifth after Valpo (14-30, 9-16) loaded the bases with two singles and a hit batter.

Kotowski's blast in the second was his fifth of the season and 20th in his career and brought home Mason Hull after a leadoff single for MSU's only runs of the game.

Valpo got on the board in the eighth with two doubles and Hayden Juenger took over from there, recording his four outs via strikeout for his fifth save of the season.

Drake Baldwin added a single in the third to extend his hit streak to 21 games, tying for the sixth-longest in school history and the longest since Kevin Medrano hit safely in 29 consecutive games in 2010.

The teams meet again for a 10 a.m. doubleheader on Friday.