University of Missouri
Missouri State
Brandes' Bomb Produces 7-4 Win Over SMS
4/26/2000 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 26, 2000
COLUMBIA, MO -- Landon Brandes delivered a grand slam home run over the scoreboard in left field in the fourth inning Wednesday night and the Missouri Tigers went on to a 7-4 victory over the Southwest Missouri State Bears at Taylor Stadium at Simmons Field.
It was Brandes' sixth home run of the season and Mizzou's first grand slam. After Bears pitcher Mike Bowen retired the first two Tigers in the inning, Jayce Tingler reached base on a bunt single and J.R. Warner walked. On a routine ground ball by Ryan Stegall that would have ended the inning, SMS second baseman Matt Gardner made his first of two errors on the evening and the bases were loaded. One pitch later, Brandes unloaded.
The homer gave the Tigers a 6-2 lead.
Warner was 3-for-4 on the night with two doubles and three runs scored, while Tingler and Stegall each were on base four times.
Junior Ralph McCasland pitched four innings in relief of Brian Ackerson and earned the victory (7-4). Mitch Kiler pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning to earn his first save of the season. Bowen pitched seven innings and allowed all seven Missouri runs, although only three were earned. He took the loss (0-2).
Ryan Howard was the only Bear with more than one hit. He hit his 11th home run of the season in the top of the fourth inning, and singled home a run in eighth.
Winning for the fifth time in six games, Missouri (27-17) climbed 10 games over .500 for the first time this season, and also swept its two-game series with SMS. The Bears dropped to 19-26.
Missouri plays its final home weekend series of the season against the Kansas State Wildcats on Friday (7 p.m.), Saturday (2 p.m.) and Sunday (1 p.m.). Mizzou's likely pitching rotation will be Pete Sansone (5-0), Jon Harris (4-4) and Drew Endicott (1-2).
