SPRINGFIELD – Curry Sutherland hit a go-ahead two-run double and Carter Bergman slugged Missouri State's first grand slam of the season in a decisive six-run seventh inning Friday afternoon at Hammons Field for an 8-5 Bears victory against Little Rock.
 
Logan Fyffe's RBI double and a Sutherland RBI single staked the Bears (5-4) to a 2-0 lead in the second inning, but Little Rock (6-3) countered with a run in the third and a two-out, two-run double in the fifth for a 3-2 advantage.
 
The Trojans' first three runs came off starter Michael Yusypchuk, who struck out seven and allowed just three hits in 4.1 innings before giving way to Tyler Charlton (1-0), who fanned three in 2.2 shutout frames for the winning decision.
 
Sutherland came through with a two-run double for the lead in the seventh, and Bergman followed with his second career grand slam to make it 8-3 and provide the Bears with enough cushion.
 
Little Rock, which ended last season one game away from a Super Regional, fought back with another two-out, two-run double, this time in the eighth, setting the stage for Max Knight to come into an 8-5 game and keep it there for his first save of the year.
 
Sutherland finished 3-for-5 at the plate while Bergman collected his second four-RBI game of the season. The MoState pitching staff combined to strike out 13 Little Rock hitters.
 
With rain in the forecast, the teams will conclude the series with a 1 p.m. doubleheader on Saturday. Tickets to all home games are available here.