SPRINGFIELD – Missouri State tied a school record by striking out 19 SIU Edwardsville batters in a 2-1 loss, and the Bears' offense rebounded in a 14-0 game two victory as MSU split a doubleheader with the Cougars Friday at Hammons Field.

Brandt Thompson (12) and Trey Ziegenbein (7) combined for the record-tying strikeout total in the opener, and six hurlers worked together for MSU's first shutout since March 25 of last season in the second game, with the staff striking out 27 against seven walks in the two games.

On the offensive side, freshman Jake McCutcheon went 5-for-8 in the two games, while Zack Stewart and Dylan Robertson each had four hits and three RBI in the twinbill.

With rain in the forecast for Saturday, the Bears (8-5) and Cougars (10-3) will conclude the series at 1 p.m. Sunday at Hammons Field.

Game 1 Recap – SIUE won, 2-1
Thompson and Ziegenbein combined to strike out 19 SIUE hitters to tie a school record, but the Cougars scratched across an unearned run in the seventh for the 2-1 win. The 19 strikeouts equaled the Bears' total from a March 23, 1967 game against Oklahoma Christian.

Thompson fanned 12 without a walk in 6.1 innings, the most Ks by a Bear since Dylan Coleman had 13 on May 11, 2018 versus Southern Illinois, while Ziegenbein struck out a career-high seven in 2.2 hitless frames to finish the game.

Thompson is also the first MSU pitcher with double-digit strikeouts without a walk since Coleman did it with 11 Ks against Central Michigan on April 1, 2016.

SIUE's scoring was set up by leadoff doubles in the third and seventh frames, the first coming home on a one-out RBI single and the second scoring on a throwing error on a sacrifice attempt.

Missouri State's lone tally came in the bottom of the third when Robertson hit a one-out single and worked his way around to scoring on a wild pitch for a 1-1 tie.

McCutcheon went 3-for-4 for MSU's only multi-hit game, and Cody Kelly's 18 putouts behind the plate were one shy of the school single-game record.

The Bears stranded two runners on base in each of the final three innings, and the team's streak of 29 consecutive games with a home run came to an end.

Game 2 Recap – Missouri State won, 14-0
Missouri State blitzed SIUE with a nine-run second inning and six pitchers combined for the Bears' first shutout since March 25 of last season against Nevada.

The Bears loaded the bases with one out in the second and the onslaught began with a two-run single by Nick Rodriguez and continued with a three-run triple from Stewart, RBI singles from McCutcheon and Robertson, and a two-run single from Kelly. Robertson had two hits in the inning.

Missouri State repeated the bases-loaded, one-out scenario in the next inning and made in 13-0 with a two-run single from Cam Cratic, Robertson sac fly and RBI double by Kelly.

Both offenses were quiet until Robertson's RBI double in the eighth drove in the game's final run.

Jake Eddington, Tyler Tscherter, Forrest Barnes, Corbin Bassham, Garrett Ferguson and Ryan Lambert teamed up for the shutout on the mound.