Despite scoring four times in the last four innings against Southern Illinois, Missouri State came up a run short in a 5-4 setback to the Salukis in the opening round of a three-game Missouri Valley Conference series at Hammons Field Friday evening.
After SIU built an early three-run advantage, the Bears clawed their way back into the contest with a late charge that saw the home club pound out eight hits over the final four innings and put the potential tying runs on base in each frame.
But the Salukis (26-19-1, 7-6 MVC) found a way to hold on for the one-run victory, getting clutch pitching from starter Chad Whitmer and reliever Ryan Netemeyer to send the Bears (29-15, 3-9 MVC) to their fifth consecutive Valley defeat.
After MSU scored in the ninth on Hunter Steinmetz's one-out single to make it a 5-4 game, and Alex Jefferson drew a walk to put the potential game-winning run aboard, Netemeyer induced a game-ending 6-4-3 double play ball off the bat of Jake Burger to close out his ninth save of the year.
Logan Blackfan made the most of his two official at-bats, driving in three runs on the night, including two on a key seventh-inning double moments after the Bears had cut the SIU lead to one run.
Whitmer (5-3) held the Bears in check throughout the evening, scattering seven hits and allowing just two sixth-inning runs. The junior hurler struck out six altogether and pitched the Salukis out of potential game-changing jams in each of his last two innings to earn the victory.
SIU gained the upper hand courtesy of the long ball, using a leadoff walk to Blackfan and a two-out home run by Taylor Martin to grab a 2-0 lead in the second. After issuing the free pass to Blackfan, MSU starter Dylan Coleman retired Ryan Smith on a fly ball to left, then fanned Hunter Anderson for the second out. But the freshman right-hander fell behind Martin, who unloaded on a 3-1 offering for his third round-tripper of the season.
The visitors took advantage of a Missouri State fielding miscue to put another tally on the board in the third, as Blackfan's sacrifice liner to right brought home Connor Kopach for a 3-0 SIU lead.
Given the early lead, Whitmer cruised through the first five innings, retiring the first eight hitters of the game in order before Eduardo Castro's two-out single snapped the string in the third. The junior right-hander responded by setting down the next four MSU hitters and struck out five Bears through the first five frames.
But MSU put its offense into gear in the sixth, as Castro's second hit in as many at-bats–a leadoff double to right-center–ignited a two-run rally. Steinmetz's single up the middle chased home pinch runner Landan Ruff, and Spencer Johnson's two-out line drive to right plated a second tally before Burger was cut down at the plate attempting to score the tying run.
The Salukis answered in the top of the seventh, however, as infield singles by Kopach and Dylin Mucha set the tables for a two-run response for SIU. Reliever Sam Perezcoaxed a fly ball to left from Greg Lambert, but Blackfan's line drive into the gap in right-center chased home both baserunners to make it a three-run game again.
MSU threatened in its half of the seventh, as Justin Paulsen drew a leadoff walk and Jeremy Eierman drove a base hit to right to put runners on the corners. Aaron Meyer's fly ball to left appeared to be deep enough to score Paulsen, but plate umpire Rick Allen judged that Lambert's throw to the plate beat the runner, resulting in the second out in the inning.
That ruling would prove costly, as Matt Fultz followed with a base hit to left-center, moving runners to the corners. But Whitmer induced an inning-ending bouncer to second from Steinmetz to keep the Bears off the scoreboard and preserve the 5-2 advantage.
MSU would cut into the lead in the eighth on Paulsen's run-scoring single to left-center with two out. But Netemeyer extinguished another potential game-tying rally, freezing Eierman on a called third strike with runners at first and second.
The Bears' ninth-inning surge was fueled by a leadoff single from Meyer, who would score the game's final run on Steinmetz's second RBI single of the night. After a walk to Jefferson, Burger lined Netemeyer's 1-1 offering to short, where Will Farmer flipped to Kopach, whose relay to first beat the MSU All-American for the final out of the contest.
Steinmetz paced MSU's 11-hit attack with a 2-for-5 night, while Johnson and Castro also finished with two-hit games.
Despite taking the loss, Coleman (6-3) turned in one of his best starts of the conference season, striking out seven and allowing three runs (two earned) on four hits in 6.0 innings.
Game two of the series will be contested Saturday (May 7) afternoon at 2:05 p.m., before the two clubs conclude the weekend with a 1:05 p.m. contest Sunday.
