Missouri State’s baseball team turned a looming defeat into a dramatic victory on Friday night, rallying from an 8‑3 hole to beat Dallas Baptist 9‑8 in the Conference USA Championship.
The Bears struck first with a burst of offense, but it was the eighth‑inning surge that defined the game, as Taeg Gollert’s 16th homer of the season and Max Knight’s pinch‑hit blast tied the contest.
A ninth‑inning hero emerges
Caden Bogenpohl stepped up in the bottom of the ninth and delivered a two‑run single that plated Bowen Tabola, who had reached on a walk and scored on a wild pitch, sealing a 9‑8 win.
Freshman pitcher Adyn Schell shut the door with a scoreless ninth, while relievers Charlie Spoonhour and Trent Ash combined for five strikeouts in the final innings.
The performance also marked a milestone for the Bears’ offense, which hit five home runs in the game, pushing the season total to 102 and extending a streak of six straight 100‑plus home‑run seasons.
Semifinal showdown
With the win, Missouri State advances to face second‑seeded Liberty at 1:30 p.m. Central on Saturday, a matchup that will determine the champion of the tournament and a spot in Sunday’s noon championship game.
The Bears’ pitching staff, anchored by Tommy Kramkowski’s 3.1‑inning debut start and solid relief work, will look to contain a Liberty lineup that has been equally potent throughout the week.