LAKE CHARLES, La. – Despite a soggy start to their 2017 season Friday, the Missouri State Bears supplied plenty of sunshine Saturday, cruising to a pair of wins at the Lake Area Classic. MSU (2-0) rode seven strong innings from Jordan Knutson to a 7-0 blanking of Stony Brook, before securing a 12-1 victory in their suspended opening-day contest with Rhode Island.
Knutson flashed the same form that earned the senior left-hander 13 victories over the last two seasons, holding Stony Brook (0-2) to just three singles over his 7.0 innings. He breezed through the first two innings without allowing a baserunner, then coaxed inning-ending double plays in both the third and fourth frames to keep the Seawolves at bay.
Just as they did in their season opener Friday, the Bears jumped all over the opposition to take control of Saturday’s contest. Justin Paulsen’s three-run homer with two out in the first opened the scoring, after Alex Jefferson doubled and Jake Burger drew a walk to set the wheels in motion. SBU starter Nick Montefusco struck out Aaron Meyer for the second out, but Paulsen jumped all over a two-strike offering and lifted his 16th career home run well over the wall in right-center for a 3-0 MSU cushion.
Blake Graham followed Paulsen’s lead, driving a moon shot that cleared the batter’s eye in center for a leadoff solo shot in the second.
The Bears would employ a two-out rally to add to their lead in the third, as free passes to Paulsen and Graham sandwiched a Jeremy Eierman double. Freshman Drew Millas then came through with an opposite field, two-run double that handed Knutson and the Bears a 6-0 advantage.
In all, Knutson (1-0) faced just one batter over the minimum and recorded a pair of strikeouts without issuing a walk. Dylan Coleman completed the five-hitter with two scoreless innings of relief, highlighted by the Bears’ third double play grounder of the day.
Paulsen powered the Bears’ attack, scoring twice and driving in three runs with his 1-for-3 day that included a walk. Graham drew a pair of walks in addition to his home run, while Eierman went 2-for-4 and scored a run.
After play was halted Friday with the Bears leading the Rams 9-1 in the bottom of the seventh inning, MSU picked up right where they left off against the preseason Atlantic 10 Conference favorites. Graham singled and Logan Geha drove in a run with a sac fly in the home half of the seventh, and Eierman stretched the lead to double digits with a two-run homer in the eighth.
A pair of freshman right-handers combined to hold the Rams (0-1) in check over the final two innings. Tyler McAlister fanned a pair of hitters in the eighth, before Alex Moore closed out the 12-1 decision with a scoreless ninth.
Eierman’s homer capped a 3-for-4 effort, in which the sophomore drove in three runs and scored two of his own. Jefferson scored three times, while Burger finished the contest 2-for-3 with a pair of walks, three runs batted-in and two runs scored for MSU. Like in the Bears’ win over Stony Brook, Paulsen completed his second three-RBI performance in the victory.
Doug Still (1-0) earned the victory in his first mound appearance as a Bear, working the first 6.0 innings Friday and allowing just one earned run on five singles.
Missouri State concludes its stay in Lake Charles with a 2 p.m. contest Sunday (Feb. 19) against host McNeese State.
