University of Missouri
Texas
No. 4 Texas Beats Missouri, 9-6
3/4/2000 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 4, 2000
COLUMBIA, MO, March ___ The No. 4 Texas Longhorns (16-3, 5-0) broke open a close game with two runs in the seventh inning and another in the eighth to take a 2-0 series lead over the Missouri Tigers (8-7, 2-3) with a 9-6 victory Saturday night at Taylor Stadium at Simmons Field.
With two outs in the seventh inning, Texas' Matt Rosenberg doubled to right field and Ryan France tripled him home with a shot right over the head of Mizzou center fielder Nick Wilfong. After Mitch Kiler relieve MU starter Logan Dale, France scored when third baseman Landon Brandes threw wildly into the dirt at first base after fielding a grounder off the batt of Chris Houser.
In the eighth, Jeff Ontiveros plated a run when he grounded out to third with the bases loaded. In a three-run Texas fourth inning in which the Longhorns took a 6-4 lead, Ontiveros hit a two-run home run to center field - his fifth of the season, second of the day, and third in as many games.
Texas lefthander D.J. Jones went the distance to raise his record to 5-2, and struck out a career-high 13 batters. In five Big 12 Conference games, the Tigers have now fanned 49 times.
Missouri took a 4-3 lead with three runs in the third inning. Jayce Tingler led off with a walk and went to third on a double by J.R. Warner. Ryan Stegall drove home both runners with a single up the middle. Later, Ryan Pickett reached on a two-base error by second baseman Tommy Nicholson and scored on a single by Jon Williams.
Both teams committed four errors.
Dale pitched into the seventh inning for Missouri and was the loser (1-3). Wilfong paced MU's 10-hit attack with three hits.
The two teams play the final game of the series at 1 p.m., Sunday. MU's Pete Sansone (1-0) will pitch against the Longhorns' Phil Seibel (4-0).
