FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Spencer Nivens and Drake Baldwin each hit two-run homers and Missouri State held off a ninth-inning charge by No. 4 Arkansas for a 6-4 victory of the Razorbacks Tuesday evening at Baum-Walker Stadium.
The Razorbacks (34-11) are the highest-ranked opponent Missouri State (22-19) has defeated since topping No. 1 Wichita State in the 1996 Missouri Valley Conference Tournament.
Nivens put the Bears on top with his fifth homer of the season in the third, hitting it off the batter’s eye in center for a 2-0 lead after Mason Hull drew a leadoff walk.
Arkansas answered with a leadoff solo homer in the bottom half to make it 2-1, and the MSU pitching staff responded by retiring 19 of the next 20 Razorbacks to bat and carry the game into the ninth inning.
Reece Lang (2-2) matched his career-high with five innings and struck out five with two hits allowed, Eric Loomis retired all six batters her faced and Trey Ziegenbein sat down the first four he faced before the Hogs rallied.
In the meantime, MSU’s Hayden Moore doubled and scored on a Nivens ground out in the fifth for a 3-1 lead, Drake Baldwin smashed his ninth homer of the year over the scoreboard in right-center in the ninth, and Mason Greer doubled and scored on two wild pitches after that for a 6-1 lead.
The home team made noise in the bottom of the ninth, plating three runs on a combination of two singles, two errors, a walk and hit batter to make it 6-4 with two in scoring position and two out. Jake McMahill entered and got the final out for the save.
MSU’s victory moved head coach Keith Guttin into a tie with Larry Cochell for 17th on the all-time NCAA wins list with 1,331 and snapped a streak of 18 consecutive midweek games for Arkansas.
The Bears return to Missouri Valley Conference play this weekend with a Friday-Sunday series against Southern Illinois (31-13, 8-4) at Hammons Field. First pitch each day is scheduled for 11 a.m.4
