SPRINGFIELD – Missouri State finished its non-conference and midweek schedule Tuesday evening at Hammons Field with a 13-2 loss to the University of Central Florida of the Big 12.
 
The Bears (25-21) and Knights (25-23) played to a 2-2 tie through six innings before the visitors broke it open late.
 
Missouri State struck first on Tyler Epstein's two-out RBI single in the third, UCF scored twice in the fifth, then MoState answered when Nick Rodriguez doubled to lead off the bottom half and scored on Max Knight's ground out for a 2-2 tie. The double extended the senior's school-record hitting streak to 33 games, the third-longest in the MVC since at least 2000.
 
UCF retook the lead with a solo homer in the seventh and then scored five in each of the final two innings.
 
Curry Sutherland made his first career pitching start and yielded just one hit in a career-long three shutout innings.
 
Missouri State closes its home schedule this weekend with a three-game series against Indiana State. Game times are 6:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 1 p.m. on Sunday. The Bears hold a one-game lead in the Missouri Valley Conference standings with six to play.
 
MoState students graduating this weekend can receive free tickets for up to two guests at the Hammons Field box office on game day in addition to the complimentary ticket already given to MSU students. Advance tickets to home baseball games can be purchased here, however, the graduate deal is not available online.