An early five-run lead was not enough for the Missouri State Bears to extend their NCAA Championship run Sunday, as fourth-seeded Stony Brook scored seven times in the seventh inning to pull out a 10-7 victory at the Coral Gables Regional. Kevin Courtney’s second double of the inning cleared the bases and broke a 7-all tie to ultimately propel the Seawolves to the come-from-behind win.
After being held to just three hits over the first six innings by MSU starter Cody Schumacher, Stony Brook broke out of its dry spell with four straight hits to start its key rally. Courtney got things started with a ringing double off the right field wall before Travis Jankowski, Pat Cantwell and William Carmona added singles to produce the Seawolves fourth and fifth runs of the game. Relievers Tyler Burgess and Erik Shannahan recorded a pair of outs to nearly escape the inning with the Bears’ still in front, but a bases-loaded walk to Steven Goldstein knotted the score and Courtney delivered the decisive blow with a three-run double into the gap in left-center.
The Bears mounted one last attempt to keep their post-season hopes alive in the ninth, loading the bases via hits from Derek Mattea and Kevin Medrano and a walk to Brent Seifert. But James Campbell turned out the lights by fanning Keenen Maddox and Luke Voit in succession to end the game.
Missouri State, the regional’s No. 3 seed, ended its season with a 40-22 overall mark.
Story courtesy of Missouri State athletics.