SPRINGFIELD – Missouri State scored six runs in the second inning and went on to a 10-3 victory over Indiana State Saturday evening at Hammons Field. The win secured MSU’s 10th series victory in 13 weekends this season, and seventh of eight series in Missouri Valley Conference play.
Tyler Epstein logged a career-high four hits, and nine of MoState’s 14 knocks came from the bottom four in the lineup. The win moved the Bears to 27-21 overall and 17-6 in MVC play, one game ahead of Murray State in the standings with four to play, including a series at Murray next week.
It was Epstein’s two-run homer that jump-started the offense in the second inning, making it a 3-0 game after Max Knight previously scored on a wild pitch. Curry Sutherland made it back-to-back homers, Caden Bogenpohl scored on a double by Nick Rodriguez, and Knight was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to conclude the scoring.
Indiana State (22-28, 10-13) chipped away with a two-run homer in the fourth and scored on an error in the fifth to make it 6-3, then Bogenpohl launched his 10th home run of the year and 30th of his career in the fifth for an 8-3 advantage.
Zack Stewart and Epstein added RBI singles in the sixth to conclude the scoring.
Rodriguez ran his hitting streak to 35 games, one shy of Kevin Koski of Southern Illinois for what is believed to be the second-longest streak in league history.
Michael Yusypchuk (4-2) went five innings and allowed two earned runs in the start, and Owen Slater, Garrett Ferguson, Brody McNiel and Jake Syverson each followed with a scoreless inning.
The Bears go for the sweep at 1 p.m. Sunday, with Senior Day festivities beginning 20 minutes prior. MoState students graduating this weekend can receive free tickets for up to two guests at the Hammons Field box office on game day in addition to the complimentary ticket already given to MSU students. Advance tickets to home baseball games can be purchased here, however, the graduate deal is not available online.
