SPRINGFIELD – After an early offensive outburst by both sides, the final five innings of Tuesday's game between Missouri State and Oral Roberts turned into a pitcher's duel, with ORU coming away with a 9-7 victory at Hammons Field.
 
The Golden Eagles (11-4) hit a pair of solo homers in the first, and the Bears (5-10) countered in the bottom half with a two-run bomb from Jake McCutcheon and two-run double from Max Knight to lead 4-2.
 
Tyler Epstein led off the second with a home run and added a two-run single the third for a 7-2 advantage, but that turned out to be MSU's final hit until the ninth inning.
 
ORU struck back with a two-run homer in the fourth, then reached seven consecutive safely with two out to finish off a six-run inning with an 8-7 lead.
 
Neither club scored again until the Golden Eagles touched home on a wild pitch in the eighth.
 
The Bears rallied in the ninth, with Carter Bergman's walk preceding a Caden Bogenpohl double that put the tying run on second. Then Taeg Gollert hit a hard liner to right, but directly at the ORU outfielder for the final out.
 
McCutcheon reached safely four times and Bogenpohl was on three times, extending his reached safely streak to 28 games.
 
The Bears drew 10 walks and were hit by two pitches, leaving the bases loaded in both the fourth and fifth innings and stranding 13 in the game.
 
MSU used eight pitchers and fanned 12, while seven ORU hurlers struck out 15 Bears.
 
Missouri State hosts a three-game series with SIU Edwardsville March 14-16 at Hammons Field. Game times are 3 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday.