
Bears Suffer 5-3 Loss at Saint Louis
March 12, 2024 | Baseball
St. LOUIS. – Missouri State limited one of the nation's top statistical offenses to five runs on eight singles Tuesday afternoon but missed opportunities late in the game cost the Bears a chance at the win in a 5-3 setback at Billiken Sports Center.
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Saint Louis (15-1), picked to win the Atlantic 10 Conference this season and ranked in the top three nationally in average, on-base, slugging and runs, became the first team to score on the Bears (9-6) in the opening frame this season with two runs thanks to an error and two singles.
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Dylan Leach responded with a two-run homer in the second, his fifth of the year, for a 2-2 tie, but the Billikens converted three consecutive two-out runners in the third inning into the go-ahead run for a 3-2 lead.
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Saint Louis took advantage of two wild pitches and a sacrifice fly for its first run in a two-run fifth, scoring the other on a double steal to lead 5-2.
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Missouri State loaded the bases with one out in the sixth and made it 5-3 with a Jahlani Rogers RBI ground out, but the Bears stranded eight runners over the final four frames as SLU consistently escaped those jams to maintain its lead.
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MoState used five pitchers on the day, with Eric Loomis, Tyler Tscherter and Kaleb Thomas combining to keep SLU off the scoreboard after the fifth inning.
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Leach recorded the only multi-hit game for the offense, and Nick Rodriguez extended his hitting streak to 15 games, the longest by a Bear since Drake Baldwin hit safely in 21 straight in 2021.
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The Bears continue their 11-game road trip this weekend with a series at Kansas State (9-6). First pitch Friday is set for 6 p.m., followed by games at 4 pm. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday.
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Saint Louis (15-1), picked to win the Atlantic 10 Conference this season and ranked in the top three nationally in average, on-base, slugging and runs, became the first team to score on the Bears (9-6) in the opening frame this season with two runs thanks to an error and two singles.
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Dylan Leach responded with a two-run homer in the second, his fifth of the year, for a 2-2 tie, but the Billikens converted three consecutive two-out runners in the third inning into the go-ahead run for a 3-2 lead.
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Saint Louis took advantage of two wild pitches and a sacrifice fly for its first run in a two-run fifth, scoring the other on a double steal to lead 5-2.
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Missouri State loaded the bases with one out in the sixth and made it 5-3 with a Jahlani Rogers RBI ground out, but the Bears stranded eight runners over the final four frames as SLU consistently escaped those jams to maintain its lead.
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MoState used five pitchers on the day, with Eric Loomis, Tyler Tscherter and Kaleb Thomas combining to keep SLU off the scoreboard after the fifth inning.
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Leach recorded the only multi-hit game for the offense, and Nick Rodriguez extended his hitting streak to 15 games, the longest by a Bear since Drake Baldwin hit safely in 21 straight in 2021.
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The Bears continue their 11-game road trip this weekend with a series at Kansas State (9-6). First pitch Friday is set for 6 p.m., followed by games at 4 pm. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Owen Chaffin (1-0)
L: Day, Hunter (1-2)
S: Ethan Bell (3)

Batting:
HR: Leach, Dylan 1
RBI: Leach, Dylan 2 ; Rogers, Jahlani 1
SH: Rogers, Jahlani 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Chambers, Logan 2 ; Leach, Dylan 1
SB: Rodriguez, Nick 1

Batting:
RBI: Ethan Sitzman 1 ; Cole Smith 3
SF: Ethan Sitzman 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Hayden Moore 1 ; Ethan Sitzman 2 ; Patrick Clohisy 2
SB: Patrick Clohisy 1 ; Cole Smith 1
CS: Cole Smith 1 ; Knox Preston 1
HBP: Hayden Moore 1 ; Graham Mastros 1
Game Leaders
Players Mentioned
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