SPRINGFIELD – Missouri State set the Hammons Field scoring record and moved to 3-0 in the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament Friday with a 19-3 seven-inning victory over Bradley.
The sixth-seeded Bears (28-26) led 2-0 after two batters thanks to Drake Baldwin’s 16th home run of the season, 17-0 after three innings and 19-1 after four with every member of the starting lineup scoring at least one run.
Missouri State will play the winner of Friday night’s game between No. 2 Evansville and third-seeded DBU at 3 p.m. Saturday.
Notables:
Missouri State hit five home runs for the fifth time this season and moved its tournament total to 12 in three contests. Round-trippers came from Baldwin, Cam Cratic, Walker Jenkins, Spencer Nivens and Grant Wood. The Bears hit two bombs in the first inning and three in the third.
Wood’s grand slam was the 10th in MSU’s MVC Tournament history.
Wood’s career-high six RBI gave the Bears six players with 40 RBI on the season, a first since 2002.
The 19 runs are the third-most Missouri State has scored in 109 all-time MVC Tournament games, and the 16-run margin of victory tied for the second-largest.
The 3-0 tournament start is a first for Missouri State since the Bears went 4-0 for the 2018 championship.
The 11-run third inning tied a season-best as well as the MVC Tournament record for runs in an inning, last done by MSU in 2010.
The Bears exceeded 10 runs in a game for the 16th time this year.
The previous Hammons Field scoring record came in an 18-11 Missouri State win over Kansas on April 6, 2016.
Spencer Nivens scored four runs to tie four others for the school’s MVC Tournament record.
Caden Wilson was the winning pitcher in relief, allowing a run on two hits with career highs of three innings and five strikeouts.
Adam Link struck out four and allowed one hit in three innings in the start.
The Bears bashed 10 extra-base hits, a season high.
Nivens, Baldwin, Mason Greer, Cratic, Wood and Jenkins each had multiple hits.
Baldwin, Greer, Cratic, Wood and Jenkins each drove in at least two runs.
