CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo.– Right-hander Forrest Barnes retired 19-straight hitters and did not allow a hit for seven innings as Missouri State (8-19) beat Southeast Missouri (14-15), 8-2, Tuesday night at Capaha Field.
Barnes, who entered the game with a 7.50 ERA, retired 21 of the final 23 hitters he faced.
SEMO got ahead on Barnes early scoring once in the first and second innings, but that was it.
Danny Wright drove in Connor Basler on a one-out single to left field for the game's first run. Basler led off the bottom of the first with a single to left and stole second to get into scoring position.
Trent Pobst doubled to left with one out in the second inning, went to third on a wild pitch and stole home for the Redhawks other tally.
MSU broke through with four runs in the top of the fifth inning to take the lead and that's all Barnes needed.
Jordan Fitzpatrick walked and advanced to second on a one-out single by Logan Geha. Drew Millas followed with a triple to tie the game. Millas was thrown out at the plate on the play. Back-to-back home runs by Dakota Kotowski and Joey Polak came after that putting the Bears ahead, 4-2.
Kotowski came to the plate again in the top of the seventh and belted his second home run of the game to left center extending MSU's lead to 5-2.
The Bears put up another run in the eighth with a RBI-single by John Privitera. An inning later, Privitera knocked in two more runs on a two-out double to complete the scoring.
Barnes' dominating complete game effort resulted in him getting his first win of the season. He finished with 11 strikeouts for the night and struck out the side in the fifth inning.
In the bottom of the ninth, Tyler Wilber reached on a one-out error and Turner Fritts was hit by a pitch to give the Redhawks their first baserunners since the second inning. Neither Wilber or Fritts scored.
Barnes (1-2) allowed just three hits and walked one, while throwing a total of 123 pitches.
Blake Cisneros (1-1) took the loss in relief. Cisneros allowed two runs on three hits in one-third of an inning.
MSU registered 12 hits with seven coming from the top of its lineup. Millas went 3-for-4 with a double, triple and two RBI, Kotowski went 2-for-5 with a pair of home runs, two runs scored and two RBI, and Polak finished at 2-for-5 with a home run, double, run scored and one RBI.
SEMO returns to Ohio Valley Conference action when it hosts Jacksonville State in a three-game series beginning Friday. First pitch is set for 6 p.m., CT.
