TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State dropped a doubleheader matchup to Missouri State Friday afternoon at Bob Warn Field to open Missouri Valley Conference play. The Sycamores fell in the opener 4-3, before dropping the nightcap, 5-4 in 11 innings. ISU moves to 14-8 and 0-2 in MVC play while the Bears moved to 19-6 and 2-0 in conference.
 
The Sycamores saw strong pitching performances on the mound in both games as the pitching staff combined to give up nine total runs to a red-hot Missouri State club, but the Sycamore offense struggled for much of the day, hitting just .136 (9-of-66). ISU reached base 11 times via walks and seven times from hit batsmen between the two games but the story of the afternoon was missed opportunities as Indiana State left 20 runners on base.
 
Tyler Ward (4-2) went nine complete innings, striking out a career high 10 batters while allowing just one walk. Missouri State was able to spray seven hits in the opener as Ward held the Bears to four runs.
 
Game two of the doubleheader saw Triston Polley allow just three earned runs in six and a third innings, giving up four hits and striking out three in the start. Indiana State got all they could ask from reliever Ethan Larrison after the right-hander struck out five in four and two-third innings, allowing four hits.
 
Jake Means and CJ Huntley were the lone Sycamores to record multiple hits on the day. Means finished 3-for-6 with a triple, home run and a pair of walks while scoring four runs for the Trees. Huntley went 2-for-7 with an RBI.
 
Game One | Missouri State 4, Indiana State 3
It wasn't until the third inning that the two squads would get on the scoreboard as the Bears struck first. Missouri State's John Privitera and Hunter Steinmetz were able to reach base with two outs before preseason All-American Jeremy Eierman drove them in on a double to the wall in center field before being gunned down at third looking for a triple.
 
Indiana State answered right back with Jake Means smashing his fourth home run of the season on a two-run shot in the bottom of the third. He drove in Brandt Nowaskie who reached on a walk for ISU's first baserunner of the day to start the frame.
 
Missouri State regained the lead in the sixth though as Matt Brown doubled in a pair of runs on a ball sent down the line in left. The Sycamores would cut the lead in half in their half of the sixth with a Dane Giesler solo home run but that would be all the scoring ISU would get as Jake Fromson and Connor Sechler would close out the game for the Bears.
 
Dylan Coleman was credited with the win after going six and two thirds innings and striking out seven. The right-hander improved to 5-1 on the year.
 
Game Two | Missouri State 5, Indiana State 4
Indiana State brought the game winning run to the plate in the 11th inning as the tying run stood on second with two outs, but Connor Sechler would induce the groundout back to the mound to end the rally and secure the series for the Bears with a 5-4 win.
 
After Missouri State took an early lead, Indiana State bounced back with a two-run third inning as the Sycamores capitalized on a single and an error in shallow right field to score Jarrod Watkins and Jake Means.
 
ISU trailed 3-2 in the seventh before a pinch-hit single through the right side from CJ Huntley drove in Means from second to tie the game -- one of Huntley's two hits in the game.
 
It was a battle of the bullpens as Larrison and Sechler went back-and-forth. Larrison retired 10-straight Bears, including five-straight on strikeouts before MSU led off the11th with a single to right. Missouri State would score two runs in the inning on four hits, including a run on a botched safety squeeze play when ISU failed to cover first base on bunt down the line.
 
The first two batters for the Trees would reach in the bottom half after Means was hit by a pitch and Huntley singled to right. Luke Fegen drove in a run on a groundout to put the tying run on second but a chopper to the mound would end the Sycamore rally.  
 
Larrison was charged with the loss, falling to 1-1 on the season while Sechler moved to 4-1 with the win in relief.
 
The teams will look to wrap up the series Saturday at 1 p.m. Southpaw Tristan Weaver will get the call on the mound for ISU. The game can be seen live on The Valley On ESPN 3 and heard on GoSycamores.com/Watch with Luke Martin and Brian Fritz on the call.
 
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