SPRINGFIELD – Missouri State used another strong pitching performance and a four-run, sixth-inning rally to keep its perfect Missouri Valley Conference season intact with a 5-2 victory over Indiana State Sunday afternoon at Hammons Field.
One day after clinching their fifth MVC regular-season title behind a one-hit effort from their pitching staff, the Bears (36-14, 17-0 MVC) rode 6 2/3 shutdown innings from Doug Still (7-1) to its seventh-straight regular-season Valley series sweep and MVC-record 21st consecutive conference win. The junior left-hander struck out a career-best 10 hitters and allowed just one run on six hits to notch his fourth win in conference play.
Playing in his final regular-season home game, Blake Graham rose to the occasion to spark both Missouri State scoring rallies in the victory, finishing the day 2-for-5 with a pair of runs scored. After three scoreless innings to start the game, Graham led off the bottom of the fourth with a double off the left-center field wall, advanced to third on an Alex Jefferson fly ball and scored on Landan Ruff’s sacrifice fly to center.
Graham would strike again to start the sixth, lifting his seventh home run of the season over the right-field wall to extend the MSU lead to 2-0. Ruff ignited another scoring chance with one out in the inning, belting a double to right-center, before scoring on a Drew Millas base hit. Hunter Steinmetz and Justin Paulsen delivered back-to-back run-scoring singles to stretch the Bears’ lead to 5-0.
Still handcuffed the Sycamores (24-23, 10-8 MVC) over the first six frames, allowing just three singles in extending the MSU pitching staff’s scoreless streak to 10 innings. ISU generated a two-out rally in the seventh, using a string of three consecutive singles to bring in its first run of the day.
Entering the game with the bases full of Sycamores and the potential tying run at the dish, Jake Fromson extinguished the threat by inducing an inning-ending fly ball off the bat of Dane Tofteland.
Dane Giesler pulled ISU to within three runs with his solo blast to left on the first pitch of the eighth inning, but Fromson retired the next three hitters in order to get the game into the hands of closer Bryan Young. The senior All-American worked around a pair of ninth-inning walks but ultimately struck out the side to wrap up his seventh save of the season and his school-record 34th as a Bear.
Missouri State pitching combined to strike out 15 Sycamores Sunday and limited ISU to a .133 cumulative batting mark over the final two games of the series.
In addition to Graham’s effort, the Bears got a 3-for-3 day from Jake Burger, who also drew a walk and was hit by a pitch to reach safely in all five of his trips to the plate. Steinmetz added his second consecutive multi-hit game with a 2-for-5 performance, and both Ruff and Millas each drove in a run and finished with two hits apiece.
Ryan Keaffaber (3-5) suffered the loss for ISU after allowing the first three MSU runs of the game. The left-hander scattered nine hits and struck out four in his 5.1 innings of work. Ryan Toliver led the Sycamores with a 2-for-4 day, while Tyler Friis added a single and three walks in his five plate appearances.
Missouri State will conclude the regular season with a three-game MVC series at Illinois State, beginning with a 6 p.m. contest Thursday (May 18) at Duffy Bass Field in Normal, Ill.
