CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – Missouri State scored two runs in the ninth inning and three more in the 10th Tuesday afternoon to earn a 9-8 victory against in-state rival Southeast Missouri State at Capaha Field.
Down 6-4 entering the ninth, the Bears (8-8) opened the inning with a double from Dakota Kotowski and walk by Mason Hull to put the tying run on base. Both men were lifted for pinch runners, Logan Geha sacrificed them into scoring position, setting the stage for Greg Ziegler to score on a wild pitch and Beau Stuckey to touch home on a tying sacrifice fly from Jack Duffy.
Then in the 10th, MSU took advantage of the tiebreaker rule being in effect, starting the inning with Ben Whetstone on second base. Cam Cratic drove him home with a leadoff single and Jaden Rolffs followed with his fifth homer of the season for a 9-6 lead.
The Redhawks (11-12) returned the favor in the bottom of the 10th, and eventually got the winning run on base trailing 9-8 when Hayden Juenger (1-1) closed the door to finish off three innings of relief, ending a day when MSU pitchers stranded 13 runners on base.
Missouri State spotted the Redhawks a 3-0 lead after two innings, then got a two-run homer from Grant Wood in the fourth as part of his 3-for-5 day and scored on fifth-inning RBI hits from Duffy and Whetstone to lead 4-3.
SEMO retook the lead at 5-4 with four singles in the sixth and made it 6-4 after seven innings thanks to an RBI fielder’s choice.
The Bears broke a streak of three straight losses in extra innings dating nearly two full calendar years.
Missouri State used six pitchers in the game, including Forrest Barnes yielding a single and a walk in three innings during his first appearance of the season.
The Bears open Missouri Valley Conference play with a home series against Bradley, April 1-3. The MVC takes on a four-game series format this season with a doubleheader on day two. Thursday’s opener with the Braves is set for a 6:30 p.m. first pitch at Hammons Field.
