Missouri State rode big performances from a trio of freshmen and a two-homer day by Spencer Johnson to an 11-1 victory that completed a three-game sweep of SIU Edwardsville Sunday afternoon at Hammons Field. With their sixth-straight win, the Bears logged their best 10-game start to any season since 1991, when they began the year 10-1.
Dylan Coleman (3-0) picked up his third mound victory in as many starts as a Bear, fanning a career-high eight Cougars while allowing just a second-inning unearned run on five hits. Fellow rookies Hunter Steinmetz and Jeremy Eierman paced MSU’s 12-hit attack with three-hit games as part of an offensive outburst that saw the Bears homer three times and score in six consecutive innings to overcome an early 1-0 deficit.
Johnson played a pivotal role in the outcome as well, delivering two of the Bears’ three home runs on the afternoon. He came through with a two-out, two-run blast that capped a five-run second inning, before launching his fourth home run in four games this week over the left-field bullpen in the sixth for his first two-homer day as a Bear. The senior matched a career-high with four RBIs for the second time on the Bears current win streak.
For the second straight day, SIUE (0-9) scratched out a second-inning tally to grab a 1-0 lead, only to see the Bears rally. An error, a walk and a Jackson Layton single sparked the Cougar rally, but Coleman induced a 1-4-3 double play to limit the damage to one run.
The Bears responded in a big way in the home half of the inning, as a one-out walk to Eduardo Castro preceded the critical two-out rally. Ryan Mantle, another MSU freshman, was hit by a pitch to keep the inning alive before Eierman doubled home the tying run, and Steinmetz laced a two-run single to left for a 3-1 Bears lead. Johnson followed with a crushing blast to left-center off SIUE starter Jarrett Bednar (0-3) to make it a four-run contest.
It would be Blake Graham’s turn to go deep in the third after a leadoff walk to Justin Paulsen. The junior sent a rocket-shot over the right-center field fence for his second long ball of the season and a 7-1 MSU advantage.
Eierman’s second double of the day in the fourth led to another run, and the freshman shortstop completed the Bears scoring with an RBI single in the seventh.
Steinmetz also matched a career high for hits with his 3-for-4 day which completed a torrid stretch this week in which he hit .429 with three steals.
Given the lead, Coleman would need little help throughout his 7.0 innings, allowing just three hits and four baserunners over his final five frames. Jake Fromson and Preston Felgate then teamed up to close out the victory with a pair of scoreless innings.
Kailer Smith led the Cougar offense with a 3-for-4 day, while Bednar suffered the setback after allowing eight runs on seven hits in his 3.0 innings of work.
Up next, the Bears (9-1) will conclude their five-game home stand with a 3:05 p.m. contest Tuesday (March 8) against Oklahoma State at Hammons Field.
