Eric Doennig (MSU Sports Information) SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Oklahoma State scored six unanswered runs and used seven strong innings of relief from Carson Teel to overcome an early deficit and stop Missouri State’s eight-game win streak with a 7-3 decision in a match-up of nationally-ranked foes Tuesday evening at Reynolds Stadium.
The No. 18 Cowboys (7-5) batted around to score four times in the fourth, using a Michael Neustifter two-run homer and a two-run double by Garrett Benge to take control for good.
Neustifter went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and three RBIs—all career bests—to lead the Cowboys. The freshman doubled to ignite a two-run, Oklahoma State third inning that erased a 2-0 deficit, then broke the deadlock the following inning with a mammoth shot over the left-field wall for his first collegiate home run as part of OSU’s decisive rally. He added a two-out, RBI single in the seventh to cap his first multi-hit game as a Cowboy.
Given the lead, Teel (1-1) shuttered the Missouri State offense, facing just one batter over the minimum while striking out 10 Bears over his first six innings of relief. The sophomore left-hander retired the first eight Bears he faced before allowing his only run on Hunter Steinmetz’s first home run of the season with two out in the fifth.
Teel responded by setting down 10 of the next 11 MSU hitters, including a stretch of five consecutive strikeouts spanning the seventh and eighth innings. In all, he allowed just three hits over the final 7.0 innings to complete his first victory of the year.
Missouri State (10-2) set the tone with an early offensive surge, striking for single tallies in each of the first two innings to grab a 2-0 lead. The Bears took advantage of back-to-back singles by Steinmetz and Alex Jefferson, followed by a successful double steal that put runners at second and third with nobody out in the first. Jake Burger’s chopper up the middle plated Steinmetz with the game’s first run, before OSU starter Joe Lienhard avoided further damage with strikeouts of Justin Paulsen and Jeremy Eierman.
The 27th-ranked Bears kept the heat on in the second, once again putting their first two batters aboard via an Aaron Meyer single to left and a walk to Drew Millas. A Logan Geha sacrifice moved the runners, before a throwing error on Jack Duffy’s fly ball to center allowed Meyer to trot home for a 2-0 MSU lead.
Bears starter Nate Witherspoon (1-2) breezed through the first two innings, striking out four Cowboys while allowing just one baserunner. But Neustifter’s fly ball fell just inside the right-field foul line set up the first OSU scoring opportunity of the day. A hit batsman and the first of four OSU sacrifice bunts brought home the first Cowboy run, before a two-out walk to Benge extended the inning.
Colin Simpson made Witherspoon pay, lacing a run-scoring single through the left side of the infield to knot the score at 2-2.
Steinmetz went 2-for-4 with two runs scored an RBI and his first steal of the season to lead the MSU offense. Austin Knight provided 3 2/3 innings of solid relief work, giving up just one run on three hits to keep the Bears within striking distance.
In addition to Neustifter’s career game, Simpson added three hits to help pace the Cowboys’ nine-hit attack.
Missouri State continues its six-game road swing Friday (March 10) at 6:30 p.m., when it opens a three-game series with Minnesota at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.
