SPRINGFIELD – Missouri State and Arkansas State combined for 26 runs Saturday afternoon at Hammons Field, with back-to-back six-run innings by the Red Wolves in the middle of the game helping the visitors to a 14-12 win.
 
The Bears (5-5) homered twice in the second inning, with Zack Stewart leading off with his fourth of the season and Tyler Epstein adding a three-run shot with two out for a 4-0 lead.
 
After the Red Wolves (9-2) pushed two across in the third, Missouri State answered with a five-spot, beginning with a Taeg Gollert walk and Stewart double. Logan Chambers drove in Gollert with a ground out, Nick Rodriguez followed with an RBI single, and Jahlani Rogers capped it with a three-run homer that made it 9-2 Bears.
 
Arkansas State put together four singles, a walk and two MSU errors for a six-run fourth, then used two hits, five walks and another error in the fifth for another six-run frame and 14-9 advantage.
 
A-State reliever Hunter Draper (1-0) entered the game in the fourth inning and shut down the Bears for the next five frames before running into trouble in the ninth when Missouri State made a late rally.
 
With two out in the final inning, ASU dropped a pop fly to let two runs home and extend the game. The Bears then loaded the bases and scored again on an Epstein walk, and Cody Kelly's fly ball to left was caught just shy of the warning track for the final out.
 
Gollert, Stewart, Dylan Leach, Rogers and Epstein each collected two hits of the offense. Reliever Jason Schaaf allowed one hit in 3.2 innings of relief.
 
Game three of the series is 1 p.m. Sunday.