SPRINGFIELD – Visiting Indiana State jumped on Missouri State early and often Thursday in the series opener at Hammons Field, handing the Bears an 11-4 loss to end MSU’s seven-game home winning streak.
With Missouri State (31-19, 18-7 Missouri Valley Conference) needing a series sweep of the Sycamores (36-14, 22-3) to claim a co-championship, ISU hit a three-run homer in the second and led 10-0 after five innings before the MoState offense got going, clinching the regular-season title in the process.
Indiana State, which is ranked as high as ninth in the national polls, tallied five unearned runs with two outs in the third and scored two more in the fifth for a 10-0 lead before Spencer Nivens hit his 14th homer of the season in the sixth to extend the Bears’ home run streak to 21 games.
The Bears added three more in the seventh to close to 10-4, getting an RBI ground out from Cam Cratic and a two-run home run from Carter Bergman, his fourth of the season. Taeg Gollert also had his 17th double of the year in the frame as part of a 3-for-4 night.
The Sycamores turned a leadoff walk into a run in the eighth for the final margin.
Trey Ziegenbein made his 100th career appearance in the contest with a scoreless inning.
Game two of the series is slated for 6:30 p.m. Friday with a 2 p.m. Saturday start for the regular season finale.
After Thursday’s result, the Bears are locked into the No. 2 seed in next week’s MVC Tournament in Terre Haute, Ind., and will play the 6:30 p.m. Central game on Wednesday, May 24 against an opponent to be determined.
