Highlights:
SPRINGFIELD – Illinois State scored four runs in the ninth inning Saturday afternoon to grab an 8-5 victory over Missouri State at Hammons Field.
The Bears (10-14, 1-4 Missouri Valley Conference) had a big rally of their own two innings earlier with a four-run seventh, but ISU (13-11, 3-2) went through four MSU pitchers in the ninth to get the win.
Jason Schaaf faced only one batter over the minimum through four innings in the start, but ISU got him for a leadoff homer in the fifth and tacked on three more thanks to a walk, three singles and an error to lead 4-0.
Caden Bogenpohl led off the bottom of the fifth with his seventh homer of the season, and Nick Rodriguez added a two-out solo shot in the seventh before two walks set up Cody Kelly’s three-run go-ahead homer for a 5-4 lead.
Meanwhile, Jake Syverson tossed a career-best three scoreless innings with three strikeouts and Dalen Stewart fired scoreless eighth before things unraveled in the ninth.
A one-out single and a walk preceded Luke Lawrence’s go-ahead homer that made it 7-5, and ISU scored on a balk later in the frame for the 8-5 final.
Game three of the series is set for 1 p.m. Sunday.
