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EVANSVILLE, Ind.—A wind-aided two-out double ignited a five-run fourth inning Sunday to give the No. 30 Missouri State University baseball team an early advantage, and then the Bears flexed their muscle late to power past the home-standing University of Evansville Purple Aces, 11-3, in the rubber game of a three-game Missouri Valley Conference series at UE’s Charles H. Braun Stadium.

After UE grabbed an early 1-0 lead in the second inning on a lead-off double by junior first baseman Tom Heithoff and a run-scoring single by junior designated hitter Andy Pascoe, the Bears erupted for five runs in the fourth inning to grab a 5-1 lead. 

With two outs and a run already home, Missouri State shortstop Travis McComack lifted a fly ball to the left-center field gap that blew over the head of a racing Jim Viscomi for an RBI double to give Missouri State a 2-1 cushion. After an RBI single by first baseman Tyler Ryun moved the lead to 3-1, third baseman Curt Courtwright, a late addition to the MSU lineup, launched his first home run of the year to left-center field to give the Bears a 5-1 lead.

Evansville would answer back with single runs in the fourth and fifth inning on an RBI ground out by Pascoe and an RBI double by sophomore third baseman Cody Fick to trim the Missouri State lead to 5-3. Missouri State junior outfielder Ben Carlson would deliver a long two-run home run to right field in the seventh inning, though, to take the wind out of UE’s sails, and the Bears would tack on four more runs against the UE bullpen in the eighth to earn the series victory with the 11-3 victory.

“We once again missed a golden opportunity to win a series on a Sunday today,” said UE head coach Wes Carroll. “But, this team has come a long way from where it was in the fall, and I am proud of them for that.

“It is now time for the stretch run of the conference season, especially with Southern Illinois jumping up into the mix for the final playoff spot in the MVC this weekend. Hopefully, our guys will be able to take care of business this week during finals and then come back ready for the final stretch run of the conference season.”

Carlson and Ryun both had three hits for Missouri State, with Carlson adding two doubles to his two-run home run and two RBI. Ryun, meanwhile, drove in three runs with a double and a pair of singles. Fick knocked a pair of doubles for UE, while Pascoe went 2-for-4 with two RBI for the Purple Aces.

Sophomore left-hander Aaron Meade (7-2) picked up the victory on the mound for the Bears by scattering three runs on eight base hits in 8.0 innings of work, while striking out six.

With the victory, Missouri State improves to 25-16 overall and moves into a first-place tie with Creighton in the MVC standings with an 11-3 conference record. Evansville, meanwhile, slips to 20-22 on the season and 7-11 in the MVC with the loss. The Purple Aces will return to Braun Stadium on Tuesday night, as UE will battle nearby Division II rival Oakland City at 6:00 p.m. in a non-conference tilt. UE will then take time off for final exams, before hosting Southern Illinois-Edwardsville in a four-game series next weekend at home to close out a season-best eight-game homestand.