Missouri State

SPRINGFIELD – Missouri State put the finishing touches on a 21-3 home record Sunday afternoon with a 7-6 victory over visiting New Mexico State to complete the series sweep.
 
Playing at Meador Park for the first time in quarter century, Mo State (30-17, 18-9 Conference USA) capped the home schedule with a .875 winning percentage, the program's highest since 1982.
 
Tyler Charlton (2-2) struck out three straight Aggies (19-31, 8-19) with the bases loaded and no outs in a 5-5 game in the eighth, and Max Knight and Carter Bergman had RBIs in the bottom half to secure the win.
 
Knight and Bergman also drove in runs in the second for a 2-0 lead and starter Owen Slater retired the first 10 batters he faced before NMSU broke through with a three-run fifth.
 
Mo State answered immediately by loading the bases with one out, Logan Fyffe drove in the tying run and two more scored when a pickoff attempt sailed into center field to make it 5-3 Bears.
 
The first five Aggies reached in the eighth for a 5-5 tie and the bases loaded, bringing Charlton in from the bullpen to strike out the side with no further damage.
 
Curry Sutherland led off the home eighth with a double and Mo State loaded the bases with one out to set up Knight's sac fly and Bergman's RBI single for a 7-5 advantage, and Charlton's fourth strikeout ended the game with the tying run on second in the ninth after a two-out RBI double.
 
Bergman and Brant Kragel notched two hits each for the Bears, while the pitching quartet of Slater, Ross Felder, Max Knight and Charlton.
 
The Bears close out the regular season May 14-16 with a three-game series at Kennesaw State.