FAYETTEVILLE -- First Missouri State shortstop Jeremy Eierman knocked it out. Then he said he almost blacked out.
Eierman hit a two-out, two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth inning off Oklahoma State senior right-hander Trevor Cobb to lift the Bears to a 6-5 victory over the Cowboys on Friday in the opening game of the NCAA Fayetteville Regional at Baum Stadium.
Eierman, a sophomore from Warsaw, Mo., said it was the first time that he hit a home run to end a game at any level.
"I really don't remember running the bases," Eierman said. "I watched it go over and then kind of blacked out to be honest."
Missouri State (41-17) advanced to play at 7 tonight against the winner of the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville-Oral Roberts game.
Oklahoma State (30-26) will play an elimination game at 2 p.m. today.
Eierman's second home run of the game -- he hit one leading off the bottom of the fifth inning -- and 21st of the season capped a wild ninth inning that saw the Cowboys rally for two runs to take a 5-4 lead in the top half.
"It was an amazing college baseball game," Oklahoma State Coach Josh Holliday said. "We just happened to end up on the wrong side of it.
"I think that's a postseason college baseball game played at the highest level."
Missouri State senior Bryan Young looked ready to earn his 12th save of the season when he retired the first two batters in the top of the ninth with the Bears leading 4-3, but Garrett McCain -- a .394 hitter coming into the game who was 0 for 3 -- singled.
Garrett Benge followed with a triple -- which gave him the cycle for the game after he had doubled in the first, homered in the fourth and singled in the seventh -- to tie it 4-4.
Jordan Knudson replaced Young and threw a wild pitch that allowed Benge to score and make it 5-4.
"We had to get through the tough part of their order in the top of the ninth inning, and they had to get through ours," Missouri State Coach Keith Guttin said. "So we had a shot."
Justin Paulsen led off with a single for the Bears. He was replaced by pinch runner Landan Ruff, who was still on first base after Cobb got Jake Burger on a flyout and struck out Blake Graham.
"Me and Blake didn't get it done, but we knew Jeremy was right behind us," Burger said. "For the record, I did know it was out off the bat.
"I was at home plate by the time he touched first."
Eierman, who bats right-handed, hit a 2-1 pitch from Cobb over the right-field fence.
"The kid made a great swing on a fastball low and out," said Cobb, who went 2 2/3 innings in his school-record 92nd game. "All credit goes to him. He's a great hitter.
"I thought the game was over in our favor as soon as he hit it, and then the wind kind of got it and just took it with it. But man, that's a heck of a swing from that kid.
"It's tough. You never want to end the game with you throwing the ball and them hitting a home run like that. We've just got to flush it, come back tomorrow and compete."
Holliday said there was no other pitcher he would have wanted in to close the game but Cobb.
"We had the right guy on the mound, a kid who has pitched more times in our uniform than anyone in the history of OSU," Holliday said. "He was out there with the game on the line, the right guy, and sometimes someone for the other team does something special and they have a moment."
Eierman said the Bears didn't panic when Young -- who had a 0.68 ERA coming into the game -- blew the save.
"He's been lights out all year, but today they got to him," Eierman said. "We came into the dugout and got everyone up.
"We knew we just needed a couple runs to win the game and we rallied together."
Guttin said it was important not to overlook Paulsen's leadoff single in the ninth.
"Jeremy is a hero, and it deserves to be, but he had a guy on," Guttin said. "Paulsen got a big hit for us as well."
Missouri State was the home team and batted last because it was the higher regional seed.
"I"d say in that game being the two seed made a difference," Guttin said. "Being the home team that game made a difference.
"They could have walked us off, obviously, if they were the home team. But it just gave you a sense you're always going to have a chance hitting last."
At a glance
Double elimination
FRIDAY’S GAMES Missouri State 6, Oklahoma State 5 Arkansas 3, Oral Roberts 0
TODAY’S GAMES GAME 3 Oklahoma State (30-26) vs. Oral Roberts (42-15), 2 p.m. GAME 4 Arkansas (43-17) vs. Missouri State (41-17), 7 p.m.
SUNDAY’S GAMES GAME 5 Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 loser, 3 p.m. GAME 6 Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner, 8 p.m.
Sports on 06/03/2017