Missouri State celebrates their Regional Championship. (photo/MSU Athletics)
Missouri State won the second NCAA Division I Regional title in school history Sunday evening at Hammons Field, following a 3-2 victory over Iowa. It was the Bears’ school record 48th win of the season and 19th in a row.
MSU finished off their sweep of the regional thanks to Jordan Knutson. The sophomore left-hander improved to 6-1 after giving up yielded two runs on three hits in seven innings while striking out five and issuing just one walk.
The Bears scratched out a run with the help of a pair of walks and a hit batter in the first inning off Iowa starter Connor Grant. UI reliever Nick Hibbing held the Bears hitless over his first 5 2/3 innings.
Jake Burger’s leadoff single in the seventh handed MSU its first hit of the game and sparked a two-run rally. Taylor Radtke took over for Hibbing and fanned Cory Kay for the first out of the inning, but put Matt Fultz on base with a walk to set up Dylan Becker’s run-scoring single. Joey Hawkins followed with a sacrifice fly to bring home Fultz for a 3-0 MSU lead.
Iowa loaded the bases on Knutson in the eighth and reliever Sam Perez gave up a hit and a walk to make the score 3-2 with both runs charged to Knutson.
Bryan Young closed out the eighth and ninth for save picking up three strikeouts in 1.2 innings work.
Missouri State advances to Super Regional play, where they will take on Arkansas in a best-of-three format next weekend (June 4-7). The NCAA will make its official announcement of Super Regional locations, dates, game times and television information Monday (June 1) evening.