Missouri State University

The Missouri State baseball team saw another late-game lead evaporate Wednesday at Hammons Field when South Dakota State’s Jesse Sawyer belted a two-out, three-run homer in the ninth to send the game to extra innings, where the Jackrabbits eventually won 7-6 in the 12th.

    Missouri State entered the ninth with a 6-3 lead, but an error to open the inning opened the door for Sawyer’s homer.

    Then in the 12th, SDSU’s Stephen Turner hustled for an infield hit and pinch-runner Layne Somsen alertly scored all the way from second for a 7-6 lead.

    The Bears had a chance in the 11th after Brayden Drake’s leadoff double. Dallas Hord sacrificed him to third, but Caleb Thielbar fanned Daniel Torrente and Zak Swyhart to end the frame. Thielbar’s intentional walk to Ben Carlson was MSU’s only runner of the 12th.

    The Bears loaded the bases with nobody out in the second and Zak Swyhart plated the game’s first two runs with a single through the right side. Aaron Conway then bunted home Hord for the 3-0 Missouri State lead.

    In the third, Carlson walked and Trevor Rogers singled with no outs, setting up Drake’s RBI double for a 4-0 lead. Drake’s two-bagger extended his hitting streak to 21 games, tying Evan Pratte for the fourth longest in school history and MSU’s longest since Nick Kays completed his school record streak of 24 games in February 1999. Rogers scored on a wild pitch during the next at bat for the 5-0 score.

    Three hits, an error and a walk led to two SDSU runs and a bases loaded situation with just one out in the fourth. Jon Barnes relieved Sean Toler and allowed one more run to score on a fielder’s choice but preserving the 5-3 lead. Drake’s sac fly gave the Bears a run in the fifth, and the game remained at 6-3 until the ninth.

    MSU fell to 4-9, while the Jacks improved to 3-9.

    The Bears return to action Friday at 8 p.m. Central with the first of three games against 23rd-ranked Oregon State (7-3) in Portland, Ore.