TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Brandt Thompson tossed five shutout innings and Missouri State led 6-0 before withstanding a late charge by Indiana State to open Missouri Valley Conference play with a 6-5 victory over the league preseason favorite Sycamores at Bob Warn Field.
The Bears (10-10, 1-0 MVC) did their offensive damage in the middle innings, with their first hit of the game a three-run homer from Caden Bogenpohl in the fourth inning after Zack Stewart and Dylan Leach walked ahead of him.
Leach smacked a two-run single in the fifth to make it 5-0, and a two-out rally added a run in the sixth, with Logan Chambers walking, taking second on a wild pitch and scoring on a Taeg Gollert single for a 6-0 advantage.
Thompson (3-0), meanwhile, was keeping the Sycamores (15-5, 0-1) off balance with six strikeouts against five hits and two walks in five shutout innings to get the win.
The MSU bullpen kept the shutout intact until the eighth, when the home team rallied to make it 6-5, taking advantage of six walks and two singles.
Garrett Ferguson eventually got the Bears out of the eighth and pitched a scoreless ninth, recording his first save of the season.
Game two of the series is set for 2 p.m. Central on Saturday.
