A rain‑soaked semifinal in the Conference USA Baseball Championship stretched over two days, leaving the Missouri State Bears and Liberty Flames locked in a tense battle.
A Rain‑Interrupted Contest
Missouri State struck first, plating two runs in the opening inning, but Liberty answered with a series of lead changes that kept the scoreboard fluid.
The turning point arrived in the seventh inning when Liberty manufactured a decisive run to push ahead 7‑5, a margin the Bears could not overcome.
Starter Brock Lucas worked three innings for the Bears before handing the ball to a bullpen that surrendered just one unearned run over five frames, yet the offense could not rally.
Key contributors for Missouri State included Fyffe, who collected three hits, and teammates Cermenelli and Atkinson, each adding two hits, but the team fell short of a tie.
The Bears' postseason destiny will be revealed on the NCAA selection show, live on ESPN2 at 11 a.m. Monday, a broadcast that will determine whether their season extends beyond the regular schedule.