Bears End Road Trip with Setback at Ole Miss

OXFORD, Miss. – Missouri State ended its season-opening eight-game road trip and week-long stay in Mississippi on Wednesday with a 12-3 loss to 2022 national champion Ole Miss at Swayze Field.
 
The Bears (4-4) got off to a good start with a pair of runs in the second inning, set up by a leadoff single from Logan Chambers. Chambers worked his way to third base with two out and then scored in a wild pitch after Cody Kelly walked, then Kelly scored on an RBI single by Tyler Epstein for a 2-0 lead.
 
After Hunter Day (0-1) retired seven of the first eight Rebels (6-4) he faced, Ole Miss loaded the bases on free passes issued by the senior and slugged a pair of two-run doubles off the first of eight MSU relievers to give the home team a 4-2 advantage.
 
Kelly scored again in the fourth inning, drawing another two-out walk, moving up on Epstein’s double and scoring on a passed ball for a 4-3 tally.
 
That was it the Bears’ offense, while Ole Miss scored eight runs over their final five at bats, five of those being unearned against a total of nine Missouri State pitchers.
 
The Rebels added single tallies in the fourth, sixth and seventh frames before a five-spot in the eighth to seal it.
 
Epstein collected the only multi-hit game for Missouri State and had the team’s lone RBI.
 
The Bears make their home debut Friday at 3 p.m. against Arkansas State (8-1) with $3 adult tickets available for the matinee at Hammons Field. The A-State series continues at 2 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday.