Season Statistics

DALLAS – Missouri State came one run shy of erasing two separate seven-run deficits Saturday afternoon in an eventual 17-16 loss to 24th-ranked Dallas Baptist at Horner Ballpark.

The Bears (14-12, 0-2 Missouri Valley Conference) surrendered three runs in the first but trailed 4-3 after Dakota Kotowski swatted his league-leading 14th home run of the season in the third.

DBU (20-10, 2-0) took advantage of seven Missouri State walks in the bottom of the third, with Jace Grady's grand slam the big blow as the Patriots pushed the lead to 10-3.

With the bases empty and two out in the fourth, the Bears rallied for a 10-10 tie, getting a Kotowski two-run single, bases-loaded walk from Grant Wood and a three-run double from Jaden Rolffs before Drew Townsend's first career hit tied the game.

Grady struck again for DBU with a three-run homer in the fourth, and the Patriots added a pair in each of the next two innings to lead 17-10.

The Bears were not done, plating six runs in the seventh inning courtesy of RBI singles from Greer and Kotowski, Wood's second bases-loaded walk of the afternoon, and another three-run double by Rolffs to give the senior a career-high six RBI.

Now trailing 17-16, MSU's Trey Ziegenbein entered in the bottom of the seventh a fired two scoreless frames to allow the offense a chance to complete the comeback.

The first two Missouri State hitters reached in the eighth before DBU escaped, and the Bears got runners on the corners with two out in the ninth when Patriot closer Chandler Arnold struck out Spencer Nivens to end it as Nivens was attempting to reach base for the sixth consecutive plate appearance.

Kotowski drove in four runs and had three hits, as did Greer and Nivens, who extended his hitting streak to 10 games. In all, all nine MSU starters had a hit, six scored multiple runs and six had an RBI in the 4-hour, 28-minute contest.

The series concludes at 1 p.m. Sunday.