University of Missouri
Iowa State
Missouri Baseball Drops Iowa State, 8-7
4/2/2000 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 1, 2000
AMES, Iowa - The Missouri Tigers crawled back from a 7-6 deficit heading into the seventh inning by scoring runs in the seventh and ninth inning to edge Iowa State, 8-7 in baseball action Saturday afternoon at Cap Timm Field. The win improves the Tigers to 18-11 overall and 6-5 in Big 12 play, while Iowa State falls to 8-19 overall and 2-9 in the conference.
Both teams jumped out of the gate early, with Missouri scoring four runs and ISU tallying three in the first stanza. Cyclone pitcher Brian Curtin issued four free passes and gave up two doubles to Ryan Stegall and Mike Rallo, as the Tigers breezed out to a 4-0 lead. However, the Cyclones answered with three runs in the bottom half of the first when Rob Conway blasted a three-run home run, driving in Joe Ferin, who doubled, and Ryan Wickham, who singled.
With Tiger starter Logan Dale settling in, Missouri held ISU scoreless for four innings while increasing its lead to 6-3 after five innings. The Cyclones then jumped out to their first lead of the game with a four-run sixth inning. Joe Siple doubled home the first two runs after Conway walked and Aaron Runk singled. Siple later tied the game when Jade O'Brien punched his second triple of the series in the right-center gap. O'Brien advanced home by a throwing error to give ISU a 7-6 lead.
Missouri tied the game in the seventh inning scoring one run on ISU reliever Mark Hanrahan. Hanrahan also had control problems in the early going, walking two batters to aid the Tigers. After both teams went scoreless in the eighth inning, the Tigers scored the winning run in the top of the ninth inning. Hanrahan walked Jon Williams then struckout Nick Wilfong to get the first out. After Landon Brandes singled, Hanrahan hit Mike Rallo to load the bases. Williams scored the next play on a Wes Fewell ground out fielders choice to make it an 8-7 ballgame. Missouri closer Ryan Stegall took care of the rest by retiring the only three batters he faced to pick up the save, his eighth of the season.
Mitch Kiler was the winning pitcher (1-1), allowing just one hit in two 2/3 innings. Hanrahan took the loss for ISU, falling to 1-4 on the season. Hanrahan threw the final three innings, replacing Curtin in the seventh inning. Curtin gave up nine hits and seven runs in his stint, while Hanrahan allowed two hits and one run. Both pitchers combined for 10 walks- six by Curtin and four by Hanrahan.
Mike Rallo, Ryan Stegall, Nick Wilfong and Jayce Tingler all had two hits to help MU to 11 hits in the ballgame. Rallo drove in three runs and Jon Williams hit a solo home run to leadoff the fifth inning to provide the majority of the run production for the Tigers. Ryan Wickham went 2-for-5 to pace ISU at the plate, increasing his hitting streak to 10 games. Wickham is hitting .463 in the last 10 games, all at Cap Timm Field.
The series finale concludes tomorrow with a 1 p.m. start.
Missouri 400 110 101 - 8 11 1
Iowa State 300 004 000 - 7 8 1
Missouri- Dale, Kiler (6), Stegall (9) and Williams
Iowa State- Curtin, Hanrahan (7) and Wickham
HR: ISU, Conway (6): MU, Williams (5)
W-Kiler (1-1), L-Hanrahan (1-4), Save-Stegall (8)
A: 410, T: 2:52
