CARBONDALE, Ill. – Missouri State dropped Sunday’s series finale at Southern Illinois by a 3-2 final at Itchy Jones Stadium as both teams managed only three hits in the warm and humid conditions.
Despite the setback, the Bears (31-18, 18-6 Missouri Valley Conference) still left Carbondale with their seventh consecutive series victory and at least a second-place finish, and host first-place Indiana State at Hammons Field from Thursday to Saturday with a chance to claim a regular season MVC championship with a sweep of the Sycamores. Thursday’s first pitch is set for 6:30 p.m.
SIU starter Jake Combs (3-2) yielded just two baserunners in seven innings of work – a second-inning single from Cody Kelly and leadoff homer in the seventh by Spencer Nivens, handing it over to his bullpen with a 3-1 lead.
The Salukis (29-23, 14-10) used an error, steal and RBI single in the third to lead 1-0, added a leadoff homer in the sixth before two walks and an error allowed another unearned run to score for a 3-0 lead.
Nivens put the Bears on the board with his 13th homer of the year in the seventh, and MoState loaded the bases with one out in the eighth to set up a rally.
Nick Rodriguez hit a sac fly that SIU’s left fielder leapt to catch at the fence, and the Salukis got a big strikeout with the bases loaded for the final out, then retired the Bears in order in the ninth.
Jake Eddington (4-1) allowed one earned run on three hits in five innings, and Reed Metz and Trey Ziegenbein combined for three hitless innings of relief.
