Box Score SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- The Wichita State baseball team (20-17, 5-4) grabbed a 4-3 lead in the fifth after the second of two rain delays but Missouri State (22-14, 8-2) reeled off nine unanswered runs before holding off a late rally to take the series with an 12-8 win Saturday afternoon at Hammons Field.

The win by the Bears marked the first MVC series loss by the Shockers since 2006.

Tyler Grimes went 2-for-3 with four RBI and two runs scored to lead the Shocker offense. Clint McKeever also went 2-for-3 with two home runs, driving in four.

The Shockers left the bases loaded in the first before drawing a pair of bases-loaded walks in the second to take a 2-0 lead following a 47-minute rain delay.

The Bears answered with three runs in the fourth on the strength of a Daniel Torrente two-run home run that gave MSU a 3-2 lead before another break for rain.

The second delay lasted around 50 minutes before the Shockers regained the lead in the top of the fifth on a two-run home run by Clint McKeever that brought home Tyler Grimes, who led the inning off with a single. McKeever's fourth blast of the season gave WSU a 4-3 edge.

The second rain delay chased both starters from the game, as MSU's Pat Doyle and WSU's Justin Kemp started the fifth in relief of Buddy Baumann and Charlie Lowell. Lowell worked four innings, giving up three earned runs on four hits while walking three and striking out two before the delay. Baumann gave up two runs on two hits in four innings of work.

The Shocker lead did not last long however, as Missouri State scored four runs in the bottom of the frame off of Kemp (0-2), getting a two-run home run from Kevin Medrano before a two-RBI double from Chris Playter gave the Bears a 7-4 edge after five.

Kemp gave up four earned runs on 20 pitches to take the loss.

The Bears broke the game open with a four-run seventh as Doyle (2-2) shut down the Shocker offense until the ninth.

Will Baez was hit by a pitch to lead off the ninth before Andrew Letourneau walked after a 10-pitch at-bat that sent Baez to third on a MSU error. Grimes then took a full-count pitch over the left field fence to cut the Bears' lead to 12-7.

McKeever's second home run of the day came four pitches later, giving WSU back-to-back home runs for the first time since April 30, 2007. The Shocker rally fell short however, sending Wichita State to its fifth-straight loss.

The teams wrap up the series tomorrow at 1 p.m., at Hammons Field.