SPRINGFIELD – Jack Duffy hit the go-ahead RBI single in the bottom of the eighth inning, and three Missouri State pitchers combined to throw a two-hitter as the Bears won 2-1 to complete the sweep of Valparaiso on Senior Day at Hammons Field.

The victory extended MSU's season-long winning streak to five games and moved the Bears to 21-22 and 11-13 in Missouri Valley Conference play to conclude the regular season, securing the fifth seed in next week's MVC Tournament in Carbondale, Ill., and setting up a 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 25 rematch with eighth-seeded Valpo (14-33, 9-19) in the single-elimination first round.

Neither club recorded a hit until the third inning, and the Bears broke through on Mason Hull's two-out infield single that scored Walker Jenkins after the MSU shortstop reached on an infield single of his own, stole second and moved to third on a wild pitch.

Valpo evened the score at 1-1 with a single, walk and two sacrifice bunts in the fifth, during which time MSU's Hayden Minton began a stretch of nine consecutive batters retired before finishing a career-high seven innings of work.

Trey Ziegenbein (8-1) pitched a 1-2-3 eighth for the Bears, setting the stage for Hull to draw a one-out walk, move to second on a ground out and score on Duffy's single to left in the fifth-year senior's final plate appearance at Hammons Field.

Hayden Juenger retired the side in order in the ninth for his sixth save, finishing off a game-ending stretch of 15 consecutive Valpo hitters retired by MSU pitching.