SPRINGFIELD – Taeg Gollert set Missouri State’s career doubles record and the Bears tied a school record with their 16th consecutive home victory Friday at Hammons Field, topping Western Kentucky by a 15-10 final.
Gollert went 4-for-4 and was hit by two pitches, and broke a tie with Brayden Drake with his 68th career two-bagger in the sixth inning before doubling twice more to tie the single-game mark, which has now been accomplished 25 times including Gollert in his second career game at Cal Poly in February 2023. The senior’s four hits also matched his career best, while his 70 doubles make up part of 108 career extra-base hits, just eight shy of the Mo State career record.
The Bears (25-10, 13-3 Conference USA) pounded 21 hits, their most in a game in 15 years, and moved to 16-0 at home to equal the program-best 16-game home win streak from April 18, 2015-March 6, 2016.
Western Kentucky (19-19, 6-10) held the Bears in check until back-to-back six-run innings, with Gollert’s record double sparking a stretch of four consecutive hits to open the sixth. Mo State scored on a Caden Bogenpohl RBI single, Curry Sutherland RBI HBP, Brant Kragel two-run single, Carter Bergman RBI ground out and Max Knight squeeze bunt that inning for a 9-6 lead.
In the seventh, Gollert hit an RBI double followed by RBI singles from Bogenpohl and Bergman before Knight launched a three-run homer to cap a five-RBI game and make it 15-6 Bears.
WKU rallied with four in the ninth for the 15-10 final.
Brock Lucas (4-3) got the winning decision by striking out five and allowing a run in 2.2 innings of relief.
All nine Bears recorded a hit, the top seven in the order scored twice each, and seven drove in at least one run.
Bryce Cermenelli extended his hitting streak to 18 games with a 3-for-6 day, while Bogenpohl and Sutherland each had three-hit afternoons. Logan Fyffe, Bergman and Knight each recorded two hits.
The series continues at 3 p.m. Saturday.
