SPRINGFIELD – Missouri State extended its win streak to four games Friday thanks in large part to a five-run fifth inning on the way to a 7-5 Missouri Valley Conference victory over Southern Illinois at Hammons Field.
With the win, the Bears (23-31, 11-15) moved into a tie with the Salukis (30-25, 11-15) in the league standings, meaning a win in Saturday’s regular season finale would bump the Bears to the No. 7 seed in next week’s MVC Tournament in Evansville, Ind.
Saturday will also be Senior Day and head coach Keith Guttin’s final game at Hammons Field. Pregame festivities for both the senior class and Keith Guttin Day begin at 10:25 a.m. with first pitch at 11:05.
Friday’s game remained scoreless until Taeg Gollert doubled and scored on a Caden Bogenpohl double in the fourth for a 1-0 MSU lead.
The Salukis pulled even with an unearned run in the fifth, the only tally allowed by MSU starter Kaleb Thomas (4-3), who gave up just three hits and fanned four in five innings of work.
The Bears loaded the bases with none out in the bottom of the fifth and got a two-run single from Gollert followed by a three-run homer by Nick Rodriguez, his 12th of the season, for a 6-1 lead.
SIU put its first six batters on base in the sixth with Thomas now out of the game, scoring four times before Reed Metz got two outs with the bases loaded to preserve the 6-5 lead.
Metz finished with two scoreless innings of relief, and Bogenpohl mashed his 19th home run of the season in the seventh, tying him with Ryan Howard for the most by a freshman in MoState history.
Tyler Charlton closed the game by retiring all six Salukis he faced for his second save.
Rodriguez (35) and Cody Kelly (23) each extended their streaks of reaching base safely.
