Bears Power Past Warhawks in Season Opener

MONROE, La.– Missouri State slugged six extra-base hits and broke the game open with back-to-back home runs from Dylan Leach and Jahlani Rogers in a four-run sixth inning Friday on the way to a 10-4 victory over Louisiana Monroe at Lou St. Amant Field, the most runs scored by the baseball Bears in a season opener since 2017.

The top three in the MoState lineup – Tyler Epstein, Logan Chambers and Taeg Gollert – did all the damage their first two trips through the order, reaching safely all six times and scoring on a Gollert RBI double in the second before back-to-back two-out doubles and a Gollert RBI single in the third for a 3-0 lead.

ULM was a single short of the team cycle in the third inning to even the score at 3-3, and the MSU bullpen trio of Eric Loomis, Reed Metz (1-0) and Garrett Ferguson picked up the slack to hold the Warhawks hitless until the seventh after starter Brandt Thompson left the game in the three-run Warhawk third.

Freshman Caden Bogenpohl was plunked for the second time in the game to open the sixth and Nick Rodriguez followed with a single to set up Leach’s go-ahead three-run bomb, then Rogers followed with an opposite-field shot down the right field line for a 7-3 advantage.

The Bears then loaded the bases with nobody out in the seventh and scored on RBI ground outs from Rodriguez and Leach before Rogers tacked on an RBI single to make it 10-3.

ULM scored on a sacrifice fly in the seventh for the final margin, and Jason Schaaf pitched a scoreless ninth to finish the bullpen line of 6.1 innings, two hits, one run and eight strikeouts among the four relievers.

The win made the Bears victorious for the ninth time in the last 12 season openers. Gollert had three hits and reached safely four times, while Rogers and Zack Stewart also logged multi-hit efforts. The defense turned three double plays in an error-free performance.

Game two of the series is scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday.