Indiana State overcame an early two-run deficit to complete a three-game Missouri Valley Conference series sweep of Missouri State with a 4-2 victory Sunday afternoon at Bob Warn Field.
ISU (27-16, 7-5 MVC) climbed out of a 2-0 hole with a two-run rally in the third, then plated the go-ahead runs on freshman Clay Dungan's two-run single in the bottom of the sixth to hand the Bears their fifth-consecutive defeat.
The loss marked Missouri State's sixth-straight regular-season setback in Terre Haute, completing the first MVC sweep of the Bears since the Sycamores turned the trick May 9-11, 2014. MSU, which went 17-0 in the month of May last season, also suffered its first May loss since the final game of the 2014 campaign.
Sophomore reliever Ethan Larrison (2-1) held the Bears (28-14, 3-8 MVC) to just one hit over 3 2/3 scoreless frames to earn the victory. The right-hander allowed two-out baserunners in four-straight innings, but worked his way out of trouble in each instance to keep MSU at bay.
Closer Jeremy McKinney, who either won or saved each of ISU's three victories in the series, pitched a scoreless ninth to complete strong mound effort for the Sycamores.
The comeback win for ISU marked their second in three games against the Bears, who seized the lead with their second first-inning scoring rally of the series. The Bears used a one-out bunt single by Matt Dezort, who went 2-for-2 and scored both MSU runs, to initiate their early charge. After a steal of second by the senior outfielder, Jake Burger's liner to center fell in for a hit, before a passed ball brought the runner home for a 1-0 MSU lead.
Dezort ignited another threat in the third, lining a leadoff double to left-center, before moving to third on a Burger fly ball. Next, Jeremy Eierman skyed a sacrifice fly to center to plate Dezort for the second time, stretching the MSU advantage to two runs.
Held hitless by MSU starter Jake Fromson over the first two frames, Indiana State got its offense in gear in the third to pull even with the Bears. Tyler Friis led off the inning with the first Sycamore hit of the day, before Andy DeJesus lofted a run-scoring triple to deep right field. The next batter, Andy Young, leveled the score with a sacrifice fly to center.
Neither offense would seriously threaten again until the top of the fifth, when walks to Hunter Steinmetz and Burger put two on with two out for MSU. But Larrison escaped the jam, inducing an inning-ending pop-up off the bat of Eierman.
It would be the Sycamores' turn to make some noise in the sixth, as back-to-back hits to left from Young and Hunter Owen kicked off the key ISU rally. Dan Giesler's chopper to first moved both runners into scoring position, before an intentional pass to Kaden Moore loaded the bases. Dungan then lined a single to center to plate the two lead runners and put ISU in front for good.
Fromson (4-1) pitched a career-best 5 1/3 innings in his first start as a Bear, allowing all four ISU runs on five hits. Sam Perez worked the final 2.2 frames, holding the Sycamores hitless to keep it a two-run game.
Up next, the Bears return to Hammons Field Tuesday (May 3) to open a four-game home stand with a 6:35 p.m. contest against Arkansas.
