SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Missouri State got solo homers from Justin Paulsen and Hunter Steinmetz and a three-run shot in the eighth to earn a 5-1 win over Mizzou Baseball Tuesday night (April 25) at Hammons Field. Mizzou junior RHP Andy Toelken (Green Cove Springs, Fla.) was a tough-luck loser as he was touched for just the two solo homers over 5.0 innings while striking out four and scattering only five hits. MSU’s Austin Knight earned the win after 6.2 innings, allowing just three hits while striking out five against no walks. He retired 15 Mizzou batters in a row at one point. The loss drops Mizzou to 27-15 on the year while Missouri State goes to 28-13.
Freshman OF Kameron Misner (Poplar Bluff, Mo.) tallied a one-out hit in the first, but he was erased on a 4-6-3 double play to end the Tigers’ half of the first. Toelken came out and Missouri State leadoff hitter Hunter Steinmetz tallied leadoff infield single to short to start Missouri State’s half of the inning. MSU 2B Aaron Meyer then hit into a groundout to end the inning but appeared to injure his leg on the play. He was carted off to a standing ovation from the crowd.
Missouri State broke the stalemate it in the bottom of the fourth inning as Paulsen hit what looked like a harmless fly out to left, but the wind pushed it just over the 315-foot sign on the wall in left field for a solo homer, giving the Bears a 1-0 lead. The Bears added another run in the bottom of the fifth, again getting a leadoff homer, this time from the leadoff man Steinmetz.
Mizzou finally got to Knight a bit in the seventh after he had retired 15 straight Tiger batters. Trey Harris (Powder Springs, Ga.) was hit by a pitch with one out and Brett Bond (St. Louis, Mo.) doubled to right center to put runners on second and third with one out. But the Tigers came up empty after a pair of strikeouts, stranding the tying runs in scoring position.
That was the best chance for Mizzou as it went quietly in the eighth. MSU then added a three-run homer in the bottom of the eighth. Mizzou got a two-out RBI single from Bond in the ninth for its only scoring.
Mizzou will host Texas A&M at Taylor Stadium for the first time since 2011 this weekend. First pitch for the opener of the three-game series on Friday is at 6:30 p.m.
— Mizzou Athletics —