TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – A six-run second inning for Indiana State was the difference Sunday afternoon at Bob Warn Field as the Sycamores took game three and the series from Missouri State with an 8-5 victory.
Indiana State (17-5, 2-1) claimed the rubber match of the first Missouri Valley Conference series of the season in large part due to the big second frame, beginning with a walk and hit batter, following with a double, triple and home, then adding three consecutive singles to lead 7-2 at that point.
The Bears (10-12, 1-2) got off to a strong start thanks to Jake McCutcheon’s leadoff double, a Zack Stewart RBI single, and Logan Chambers drawing a bases-loaded walk three batters later.
ISU hit a solo homer in the bottom of the first before the second-inning outburst, but the Bears chipped away, starting with Caden Bogenpohl’s sixth homer of the season, a two-run shot in the third.
Dylan Leach hit a leadoff single and scored on Tyler Epstein’s sacrifice fly in the fifth to make it 7-5, and Missouri State opened the sixth with two walks before ISU reliever Zach Davidson retired the next nine MSU hitters.
In the meantime, the Sycamores added a run in the sixth to make it 8-5, and the Bears made noise again in the ninth when Stewart singled and Leach walked to get the tying run to the plate. ISU retired the next three Bears to finish off the series win.
Stewart and Leach each recorded two hits, and Leach reached four times courtesy of two walks.
The bullpen was forced into action in the second frame and four relievers combined to allow a run on five hits in 6.1 innings. Garrett Ferguson fired 2.2 scoreless frames to finish the game.
After playing 19 of their first 22 games on the road, the Bears return home Tuesday for a 3 p.m. game with Southeast Missouri. Adult tickets are available for $3 for the matinee.
