Season Statistics

SPRINGFIELD – Visiting Oral Roberts scored four runs in the top of the ninth inning Tuesday evening to steal a 9-8 victory from Missouri State at Hammons Field.

The Bears (14-14) led throughout and entered the ninth with an 8-5 advantage only to let the first four ORU (18-12) batters on base with two hits and two errors, resulting in an 8-7 score with runners on second and third and nobody out.

Trey Ziegenbein (4-4) struck out the next two hitters and had Jake McMurray down 1-2 in the count before the ORU first basemen pulled a two-run single into left field for the go-ahead runs. Cade Denton (2-0) then pitched around Grant Wood's two-out single in the bottom of the ninth to close out the win.

MSU starter Reece Lang posted career highs of six strikeouts and five innings and left with a 4-1 lead thanks to Drake Baldwin's RBI single and a Jaden Rolffs two-run homer in the third, and an RBI fielder's choice from Baldwin in the fifth.

ORU closed to 4-3 in the sixth and the Bears answered with four runs in the bottom half coming on a wild pitch, two-run single from Spencer Nivens and Baldwin sac fly for his third RBI of the game and an 8-3 lead.

The Golden Eagles silenced the MSU bats after that, plating two runs in the seventh before the ninth-inning rally.

Mason Greer, Nivens and Wood each had three hits, while Nivens scored three times and extended his hitting streak to 12 games.

Missouri State pitching struck out a season-high 15 batters.

The Bears resume Missouri Valley Conference play with a home series against Evansville April 15-17. First pitch Friday is 6:30 p.m.