Season Statistics

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Missouri State hit six home runs and scored 20 for the first time since 2008 Sunday afternoon to claim the series at Samford with a 20-8 victory in eight innings at Joe Lee Griffin Field.

Spencer Nivens launched the third pitch of the game over the right field fence for Missouri State's second leadoff homer of the season and the Bears were off to the races, with the first six batters reaching safely in a six-run first that included RBI singles from Jaden Rolffs and Dakota Kotowski, another run on a wild pitch and two more on an error with two out.

Samford (13-12) fought back with three in the bottom of the first, the Bears got solo homers from Dakota Kotowski and Drake Baldwin over the next two frames for an 8-3 lead, only to see Samford tie the score at 8-8 thanks to a trio of two-singles in the third and a two-run homer in the fourth.

After the tying home run, only one Samford runner reached base the remainder of the game, with Forrest Barnes (4-1) earning the win with 4.1 innings of relief.

That set the stage to the Bears (14-10) to score the final 12 runs of the contest on their way to a ninth win in the last 12 games.

Cam Cratic and Grant Wood opened the seventh inning with back-to-back bombs – the fourth time that's happened for MSU this season – and the next four Bears reached safely, one scoring on a Baldwin single and three more coming home on wild pitches. Cratic then capped the eight-run inning with another homer, this time off the light tower in right center.

The Bears tacked on four more in the eighth, coming on an RBI single from Mason Greer, RBI ground out from Rolffs and two-run single from Wood for the 20-8 final.

MSU's scoring total was its highest since plating 21 on May 4, 2008 at Indiana State, while the 20 hits equaled a season high. The Bears hit five-plus homers for the fourth time this season.

Cratic and Baldwin each collected four hits, seven different players had multiple hits and seven scored at least two runs.

The Bears begin Missouri Valley Conference play next week with a three-game series at preseason favorite Dallas Baptist. First pitch Friday is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.