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SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – After struggling to generate any offense over the first seven innings of its series opener with CSUN, Missouri State followed a familiar script to notch its third-straight victory, using a three-run eighth inning to pull out a 3-2 victory over the Matadors Friday afternoon at Hammons Field.
Ben Whetstone‘s two-run single plated the tying and go-ahead runs, capping the Bears’ third-straight come-from-behind victory to open their current home stand. Dylan Coleman (4-1) dominated the Matadors (9-12) for seven of his eight innings, striking out 11 and allowing just two runs (one earned) on four singles to earn the 18th victory of his MSU career.
Held scoreless by CSUN right-hander Walker Armstrong (1-1) over the game’s first seven frames, the Bears (14-6) finally broke through thanks to three consecutive hits to start their decisive rally. John Privitera led off with a solid single to right, before Hunter Steinmetz scooted a base hit through the right side and Jeremy Eierman unloaded a laser shot to right that brought in the Bears’ first run of the day.
Matadors shortstop Alvaro Rubalcaba momentarily quelled the onslaught with a diving snare of a line drive off the bat of Drew Millas, bringing Whetstone to the plate with runners at second and third and one out. The Bears’ sophomore cleanup man delivered, lining the first pitch he saw from Armstrong into right to bring in both Steinmetz and Eierman and give the Bears their first lead of the game.
From there, freshman right-hander Connor Sechler closed out the Bears’ ninth comeback victory of the season, coolly working around back-to-back one-out singles in the top of the ninth to earn his first collegiate save. He got Michael Russo to ground out to second, then induced the game-ending fly ball to center from Kevin Riley with the potential tying and go-ahead runs in scoring position.
Coleman matched a career high with his 8.0 frames, over which he throttled the CSUN lineup in all but the sixth inning. The junior righty allowed just one baserunner through the first five innings, fanning eight Matadors in the process.
But CSUN got a leadoff single from Brandon Bohning to start the sixth, and Coleman’s lone walk of the game kept the inning alive. After a two-out single by Albee Weiss put CSUN on the board, an Alex Hull bunt single—coupled with a Bears throwing error—handed the visitors a second run.
Coleman responded by retiring the next seven hitters he faced—including two more strikeouts in the eighth—before Sechler took over to start the ninth.
Armstrong was equally as effective in his fourth start for the Matadors, holding the Bears to five singles through the first seven innings. He worked his way around three MSU hits in the second inning, escaping damage when Joey Cooper gunned down Jack Duffy attempting to score from second on Logan Geha‘s two-out hit to right. Armstrong retired eight in a row before Privitera’s base hit in the eighth and finished his day with nine strikeouts in a complete-game effort.
Eierman, who saw his career-best 11-game hit streak come to an end in Wednesday’s win over Murray State, started another one with a 2-for-4 effort at the plate Friday. Privitera added a two-hit performance as well, while Whetstone extended a streak in which he has reached base safely via a hit, walk or hit by pitch in all 20 Missouri State games this season with his key hit in the eighth inning.
For CSUN, Hull came off the bench to go 2-for-3, while Weiss drove in his team-leading 32nd run of the year.
Up next, the Bears and Matadors will face off in the second game of the series Saturday (March 24) at 2 p.m, before concluding the weekend with a Noon contest Sunday (March 25).
