CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Missouri State returned to the win column Saturday with a 13-1 victory over Alcorn State at the Riverview Inn Governors Challenge, using a four-hit game from Jake Burger and a shutdown performance by left-hander Jake Lochner in his Bears debut to cruise to its fourth win in five games this season.
Burger, who finished the day 4-for-5 with five RBIs, belted his fourth home run of the season to stake the Bears to a two-run lead in the first before driving in three more runs over the his final two trips to the plate to help MSU pull away late. The sophomore established a new personal high for RBIs and matched his career-best day for hits.
On the mound, Lochner played a pivotal role in the outcome as well, setting down the first nine ASU hitters he faced and fanning six batters over his 6.0 innings. The freshman allowed just one run on four hits and a pair of walks before yielding to his bullpen in the seventh. Austin Knight followed with 2.0 hitless innings, before Preston Felgate struck out the side in the ninth in his first game action as a Bear.
MSU’s relentless offensive attack featured at least one hit from each position starter and produced a season high for runs, while the Bears’ 18 hits represented their best single-game total since a 19-hit total on Feb. 21, 2014 vs. Northern Illinois. Behind the pitching of Lochner, Burger’s two-run homer and an Alex Jefferson infield single that brought home a third run in the first, the Bears seized control early and never let go.
ASU plated its lone run of the day in the fourth, after LaDerik Williams became the first Brave to reach base and scored on Collin Carroll’s ground ball to third. But Lochner escaped the inning with a two-run lead intact, then worked around a pair of walks in the fifth by inducing a 6-4-3 double play.
The Bears responded to the Braves scoring rally immediately in the home half of the fourth inning, building a 5-1 edge courtesy of Matt Fultz’s solo shot to right-center and a one-out, Hunter Steinmetz triple. Steinmetz, who recorded a hit for the fifth time in as many career games with the Bears, would help key MSU scoring rallies again in the sixth and eighth innings, finishing with a career-high three hits in the game.
Spencer Johnson also helped power MSU’s seven-run outburst over its final two turns at bat, launching the Bears’ third long ball of the contest—-a two-run clout to left-center-—in the seventh to stretch the margin to 8-1. The senior capped his day with a two-run double off the wall in right to highlight a five-run eighth inning. Burger delivered a two-run single as part of the rally, and Graham brought in a run as well with a base hit to right.
Johnson’s four RBIs equaled the senior’s career high, while Justin Paulsen reached base safely in four of his five trips to the plate and registered a 3-for-4 day to match his personal-best single-game hit total.
Wallas Rios and Jason Sanez each produced 2-for-4 efforts to lead Alcorn State, which dropped to 1-6 on the season. Reggie Johnson (1-1) was tagged with the loss after allowing five runs on nine hits over his 4.0 innings.
The Bears (4-1) conclude their trip to Clarksville with a 3:30 p.m. contest against host Austin Peay on Sunday (Feb. 28).
