Missouri State’s five-run first inning and seven shutout innings from Dylan Coleman was more than enough to fuel a 9-1 victory over Central Michigan Friday evening at Hammons Field.
Coleman retired the final 13 batters he faced and allowed only four hits while striking out a career high 11 hitters without issuing a single walk to help the Bears wrap up their second straight win over the Chippewas. With the help of fellow freshman right-hander Ryan Mantle, Coleman helped stretch MSU’s string of scoreless innings to 19 in a row, before Central Michigan scratched out its first run of the series on a two-out single in the ninth.
Jeremy Eierman powered MSU’s early offensive barrage, belting a two-out grand slam for his first collegiate home run in the bottom of the first inning. Eierman finished the night 2-for-5 with four RBIs, while Alex Jefferson scored three runs with his 3-for-4 performance at the plate for the Bears (21-5), who improved to 13-3 at Hammons Field this year.
Hunter Steinmetz (2-for-4) and Aaron Meyer each stretch their career-best hit streaks to 18 games, while Spencer Johnson extended his string of consecutive games reaching base safely to 41 in a row.
Held to just three total runs over their last two contests, the Bears wasted no time in establishing an offensive tone in game two of the series. Back-to-back hits by Steinmetz and Jefferson started the home half of the first, before CMU starter Nick Deeg issued a walk to Jake Burger to load the bases. Matt Dezort’s sacrifice fly to center brought in the game’s first run, before Eierman’s first career home run easily cleared the left field bullpen for a 5-0 MSU lead.
The Bears tacked on two unearned runs in the second, taking advantage of a hit batsman and a defensive miscue to set up another scoring chance. A wild pitch plated a sixth MSU run, and Johnson drove home another when his fly ball to left fell untouched for a run-scoring double.
MSU would add single tallies in the fourth and seventh innings, but Coleman would not need the extra support. Following Zach McKinstry’s two-out single in the third, Coleman began his dominant run with an inning-ending ground ball to first off the bat of Daniel Robinson. Coleman would set the Chippewas (5-22) down in order in each of the next four frames, finishing his night with a flourish by fanning five of the last six CMU hitters he faced.
Mantle picked up right where Coleman left off, retiring the Chippewas in order in the eighth. A pair of walks in the ninth set up Alex Borglin’s two-out, RBI single to right, which snapped a 17 2/3 inning scoreless drought in the series for CMU.
McKinstry and Borglin led the Chippewas with matching 2-for-4 efforts, while Deeg (1-6) suffered the loss after allowing eight runs (six earned) on five hits over his 4.0 innings.
The Bears and Chippewas conclude their series with a 2:05 p.m. game Saturday at Hammons Field.
