CONWAY, Ark. – Missouri State senior Mason Hull tied a career-high with five RBI, and Springfield native and graduate transfer Adam Link struck out six and allowed one run in six innings Saturday to lead the Bears to a 11-2 victory at Central Arkansas.
Missouri State (1-1) did all its offensive damage in three innings, beginning with a three-run third. MSU had runners on the corners after singles by Drake Baldwin and Spencer Nivens to open the frame, Cam Cratic put Missouri State on the board with a sacrifice fly and Hull followed with a two-run home run to left for a 3-0 lead.
The first five MSU hitters reached in a four-run fourth, with a bases-loaded walk issued Cratic, two-run double off Hull’s bat and an RBI grounder to first from Mason Greer making it a 7-0 game.
UCA (1-1) got on the board with a run in the sixth, and Missouri State’s first six hitters reached safely on the way to plating four more runs in the eighth. Cratic’s single gave him three RBI in the game, Hull and Jaden Rolffs walked with the bases loaded and Dakota Kotowski capped the scoring with a sacrifice fly for an 11-1 advantage.
Baldwin finished 3-for-5 with three runs, Nivens touched home three times, and Hull had three hits. Cratic scored twice, as did freshman Hayden Moore, who collected his first career hit in the ninth.
Link took a shutout into the sixth and scattered six hits and a walk. Caden Wilson struck out three and allowed one hit in two shutout innings in his debut, and Eric Loomis yielded a run in the ninth for the final UCA tally.
The series concludes 1 p.m. Sunday
