Box Score
DBU dropped their first game of the 2008 season to the Missouri State Bears, 11-10 on Friday afternoon. The Bears were the home team this afternoon, even though they played at Patriot Field, because of tournament guidelines. With the loss, DBU fell to 0-1, while the Bears improved to 1-0.
The Patriots jumped out to the early 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning, after Sophomore Austin Knight started the one out rally with a single to center field. Junior Evan Bigley then doubled to centerfield, which advanced Knight to third base. Senior Nick Santos then hit a dribbler to the shortstop that allowed Knight to score.
Missouri State answered the Patriots run in the bottom half of the first with one of their own. The Bears first two hitters drew walks and advanced to second and third off a balk by DBU's pitcher Junior Jordan Meaker. The Bears then scored their run off a deep sacrifice fly to centerfield.
DBU started off the second inning when Junior Brandon Bantz reached base on an error and advanced to second base on a pass ball. Sophomore Ryan Enos then drove a single to left center field, which allowed Bantz to score from second base and give DBU a 2-1 lead.
The Patriots extended their lead to 4-1 in the top of the third inning after Bigley led off the inning with a solo homerun to left field. Santos then walked and advanced to second off a single by Sophomore Ryan Goins, which brought up Enos, who smoked an RBI single to right field.
The Bears took the lead from the Patriots in the bottom of the fourth inning on a two out rally. The Bears managed to load the bases on two hit by pitches and a single, which allowed one run to score. With the bases loaded, centerfielder Ben Woodbury drove a two out, two RBI single up the middle to bring the score to 4-4. Missouri State scored two more runs to bring the score to 6-4, off another single and a wild pitch by Freshman Jared Stafford.
Missouri State extended their lead to 7-4 in the bottom of the fifth inning off a solo homerun by designated hitter, Ben Carlson.
Bantz led off the top of the sixth inning for the Patriots with a walk, and then advanced to second on a single by Enos. Freshman Jason Krizan loaded the bases up with a single to centerfield, which allowed Knight to hit a two RBI single to right field bringing the score to 7-6.
The Bears once again answered the Patriots in the bottom half of the sixth when they push their lead to 8-6 off of a single and an RBI double.
DBU tied the score up in the top of seventh inning after Goins led off the inning with a single and was driven in by Senior Drew Pirtle, who drove a triple down the left field line. Pirtle then scored the tying run on a sacrifice RBI fly by Enos.
Carlson gave the Bears a three run lead heading into the top of the ninth after he hit his second homerun of the game. The three run shot gave the Bears an 11-8 lead.
The Patriots made it interesting in the top of the ninth inning after they scored to runs to cut the lead to 11-10, but the Bears managed their way out of the jam after striking out Knight to end the game.
Picking up the loss for the Patriots was Freshman Chris Haney, who went 1.2 innings, allowing two runs on two hits. Matt Frevert was awarded the victory for the Bears after he threw 2.0 innings, allowing no earned runs, two hits, and struck out one.
Leading the way for the Patriots at the plate was Enos, who went 3 for 3, with three RBI, and one run scored, while Krizan, Knight, and Goins each contributed with two hits a piece. Knight also had two RBI and a run scored, while Goins scored two runs.
The Patriots will be in action again Saturday afternoon, when they welcome Arkansas-Little Rock to Patriots field for a 1:00 game.
