SPRINGFIELD – Sparked by a four-run sixth inning, Missouri State scored eight times over its final three turns at bat to overcome a two-run deficit for a 9-5 victory over Memphis Friday afternoon in the opening contest of the clubs’ three-game series at Hammons Field.
Hunter Steinmetz paced the Missouri State (13-4) offense with a 2-for-3 day at the plate that included the go-ahead, two-run single with the bases loaded and two out in the sixth. Jeremy Eierman also enjoyed a banner day at the plate, matching a season-high with three hits in four at-bats to go along with a walk, an RBI and a stolen base.
The comeback win marked the Bears’ fifth of the season and their 46th since the start of the 2015 season. MSU’s seventh-consecutive home victory also extended its string of non-conference success at Hammons Field to 28 overall wins in its last 32 home games against non-Missouri Valley Conference foes.
Trailing 3-1 through five and a half innings, the Bears mounted their key rally after back-to-back one-out walks to Justin Paulsen and Eierman opened the door against Memphis starter Alex Hicks (2-1). Aaron Meyer snapped an 0-for-8 dry spell with a sharp single to right, before Drew Millas cut the deficit to one run with a sacrifice fly to left.
Next, another MSU newcomer delivered a critical at-bat as part of the comeback, as Ben Whetstone knotted the score at 3-3 with a single to right for his first career hit and RBI. A walk to Jack Duffy kept the pressure on the Tigers (10-7), and Steinmetz laced an 0-1 pitch from Hunter Smith back through the box to bring in both Meyer and Whetstone for a 5-3 Bears lead.
The four-run outburst continued a string of sixth-inning dominance for the Bears, who have outscored the opposition by a combined 27-0 margin in the sixth this season.
The Bears struck for three more runs the following frame to stretch their lead to 8-3. Jake Burger, who also homered to start the eighth, singled and swiped second, before Eierman drove him home with a base hit to center. Meyer coaxed the first of three walks in the inning from UM relievers, and Ryan Skalnik delivered his fourth pinch-hit single of the season to chase home Eierman.
Burger capped the MSU ledger with a long solo shot to center for his eighth home run in just 17 games this season.
On the mound, Jordan Knutson (3-1) fought through some early adversity to complete 7.0 solid innings, over which the senior left-hander struck out six and scattered eight hits. The Tigers broke on top courtesy of Chris Carrier’s leadoff homer to left-center in the second, then snapped a 1-1 tie with a pair of fourth-inning runs.
After three consecutive two-out singles from Duffy, Steinmetz and Alex Jefferson produced the first MSU tally in the home half of the third, Memphis’s Brandon Grudzielanek doubled and Carrier followed with a single to set up the Tigers’ fourth-inning charge. Andy Bowman brought home the go-ahead run with a bouncer to first, before Alec Trela’s second hit of the game narrowly eluded a diving Meyer in shallow right-center for a 3-1 Memphis lead.
From there, Knutson held the Tigers at bay, retiring 10 of the next 11 hitters he faced to give the MSU offense time to click. Memphis would touch up Knutson for two runs in the eighth, but Trey Turner fanned a pair in his hitless inning of relief, before Bryan Young worked a perfect ninth to wrap up the victory.
Missouri State will look to make it two in a row against the Tigers Saturday (March 18), when the two clubs meet for a 2:05 p.m. contest.
