A five-run fourth inning lifted Missouri State to a 6-4 series-opening victory over Memphis Saturday afternoon at FedExPark before heavy rains moved into the area and washed away the scheduled second game of the Bears’ and Tigers’ doubleheader.
The Bears’ freshman duo of Jeremy Eierman and Hunter Steinmetz keyed the MSU (10-2) attack throughout the day, going a combined 4-for-7 and driving in the tying and go-ahead runs as part of the critical rally. Steinmetz singled twice, stole a base and drew two walks, while Eierman added a 2-for-4 day at the plate.
On the mound, Jordan Knutson tossed eight strong innings to pick up his third victory in four starts this season, and Bryan Young recorded the final two outs for his MSU career-record-tying 18th save after the Tigers sliced a ninth-inning deficit in half. Knutson (3-1) limited the Tigers to two runs on seven hits over the first eight innings, including a stretch that saw the junior retire 15 of 16 hitters before Memphis mounted its late rally.
After Memphis (5-8) scratched out single runs in the first and third innings to take a 2-0 lead against Knutson, the Bears put their offense in high gear in the fourth to turn the tide for good. Matt Fultz got the ball rolling with a one-out double, and Jordan Hovey coaxed his second walk of the day to set up Eierman’s bases-clearing triple into the gap in left-center field that evened the score. Moments later, Steinmetz laced a base hit to left-center to bring Eierman home for a 3-2 Bears lead. A pair of failed pickoff attempts would lead to two more tallies, as Steinmetz trotted home on the second throwing error of the inning by Memphis starter Colton Hathcock, before Justin Paulsen’s two-out hit plated Spencer Johnson to put MSU in front by three runs.
Aaron Meyer ignited another MSU scoring chance in the fifth, singling against reliever Hunter Smith before moving to third on Matt Dezort’s pinch-hit single and crossing the plate on a wild pitch.
Knutson, meanwhile, found his groove after a sluggish start. The lefty allowed a leadoff walk to Zach Schritenthal in the home half of the fourth, but proceeded to set down the next eight hitters in succession. Schritenthal’s two-out double in the sixth stopped the string and accounted for the only Tiger baserunner between the fourth and ninth innings.
But the home club would make it interesting in the ninth, getting a walk by Trent Turner to start a rally that would see the first three batters reach safely and ultimately trim the deficit to two runs. Schritenthal came through with another extra-base hit, this one a run-scoring triple, before pinch hitter Colton Neel added an RBI double off Sam Perez to bring the tying run to the plate.
Young coolly salted away the win, however, retiring Darien Tubbs on a fly ball to center, then inducing the game-ending bouncer to short off the bat of Chris Carrier. In the process, Young matched Shaun Marcum’s club record of 18 saves, as MSU improved to 5-0 in true road games and 26-6 on the road since the start of the 2015 season.
Schritenthal led the Tigers with a 2-for-3 day, while Jake Little and Brandon Grudzielanek added two-hit games as well. Hathcock (1-3) shouldered the loss after allowing all five of MSU’s fourth-inning runs, despite striking out six Bears over his 4.0 innings.
Weather permitting, the two clubs will wrap up their series Sunday (March 13) with a noon doubleheader.
