Behind big offensive nights from Jake Burger and Spencer Johnson, Missouri State overcame an early five-run deficit to topple Arkansas State and run its win streak to nine games with a 15-11 decision over the Red Wolves Tuesday evening at Hammons Field.
The duo of Burger and Johnson combined to drive in 10 of the Bears’ 15 runs, with each delivering key grand slams late in the contest to help continue the best start in program history. MSU (18-2) overcame its biggest deficit of the season, coming all the way back from a 5-0 deficit to claim its 11th come-from-behind win of the year.
Arkansas State (10-10) cashed in with a big second inning against MSU starter Austin Knight, getting a leadoff single from Tanner Ring, followed by a walk to Matt Burgess to set the stage. The Red Wolves then used RBI singles by Joe Schrimpf and Neil Lambert to score the game’s first two runs, then stretched the margin to 5-0 when Ty White lined a double up the left field line with the bases loaded.
But the Bears responded with a big inning of their own in the home half of the second, as back-to-back walks to Justin Paulsen and Blake Graham got the ball rolling against Red Wolves starter Peyton Culbertson. Aaron Meyer put MSU on the board with a run-scoring double to right, before Alex Jefferson scorched a two-bagger of his own to left, chasing home both Graham and Meyer to make it a two-run contest.
Next, Jeremey Eierman cut the deficit to 5-4 by driving a base hit to left, and Spencer Johnson’s triple to center knotted the score. Burger then hammered a line drive to third that caromed off an ASU defender to allow Johnson to trot home with the go-ahead run.
The Bears added to their lead in the third, using a leadoff double by Graham and another run-producing hit from Jefferson to take a 7-5 lead.
Bears reliever Jake Lochner would hold the Red Wolves in check with two strong innings, before issuing a pair of walks to start the fifth. Ring turned the tables on MSU, however, belting a two-strike offering from Jake Fromson onto the left-field berm for a three-run homer and an 8-7 ASU lead.
But it would be a short-lived advantage for the visitors, with a one-out defensive miscue in the home half of the fifth opening the door for a momentum-swinging Bears rally. After Jefferson reached on a fielding error, Eierman drew a walk and Steinmetz reached on an infield single to load the bases. Johnson laid into a 2-2 pitch from Bradey Welsh and drove it over the left-center field wall for a grand slam and an 11-8 MSU lead.
After ASU used a Tim Seldomridge double to pull to within two runs in the top of the seventh, MSU went back on the offensive in the bottom half to put the game away. Jefferson’s third hit of the night started the rally, before another Steinmetz single and a walk to Johnson loaded the bases once again. Burger made the Red Wolves pay, launching a towering shot over the left-field bullpen for his NCAA Division I-leading 11th homer of the year and a 15-9 Missouri State cushion.
The visitors added a pair of eighth-inning runs to close the gap to four runs, but Sam Perez put the game on ice with a scoreless ninth, hiking MSU’s home record to 10-1 on the season.
Fromson (3-0) earned the victory with 4.0 innings of relief on the heels of 2.0 hitless innings from Lochner. In addition to big nights from Burger and Johnson, Jefferson finished with a career-high three hits, while scoring three runs and driving home three more.
White led the ASU offense, going 2-for-5 with five RBIs, and Ring added two hits and three runs scored to go along with his three-run homer.
Missouri State continues its nine-game home stand Friday (March 25), when it opens a three-game set against Minnesota with a 6:35 p.m. contest at Hammons Field.
