In what turned out to be a battle till the end, the Bears came up one run short of victory against Southern Illinois in a 5-4 setback Friday evening at Hammons Field.
With the early lead, SIU’s starting pitcher Chad Whitmer (5-3) sailed through the first five innings, retiring the first eight hitters of the game in order. But MSU put its offense into gear in the sixth, as Eduardo Castro’s leadoff double ignited a two-run rally. Spencer Johnson thenspit a two-out line drive to the right for a second Bears tally before Jake Burger was cut down at the plate attempting to score the tying run.