University of Missouri
Kansas State
Mizzou Beats Kansas State, 6-2
4/28/2000 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 28, 2000
COLUMBIA, MO -- Timely hitting and pitching were the keys Friday night as the Missouri Tigers beat the Kansas State Wildcats, 6-2, in the opening game of a three-game Big 12 Conference series at Taylor Stadium at Simmons Field.
Trailing 2-1 in the fourth inning, Missouri (28-17, 9-10) used four hits and a walk to score four runs. Dustin Barnes tied the game with an RBI single to left field, then with runners at second and third, Jon Williams lifted a high fly ball to right field that outfielder Bentson Oleen lost in the evening twilight. The ball dropped for a two-run double. Dan Bane completed the uprising with a run-scoring double into the leftfield corner.
Missouri didn't have another hit until Ryan Stegall led off the eighth inning with a double, his 21st of the season, and scored on a squeeze bunt by Barnes.
Jon Harris allowed just two Kansas State (16-25, 3-18) hits - one a two-run home run by Pat Maloney in the second inning - over six-and-a-third innings. He walked seven batters, though, while striking out six. He fanned Mark English with runners at second and third to end the third inning, struck out Josh Cavender with a runner at third in the fourth, and got Oleen to bounce into a double play with the bases loaded to close the sixth.
Mitch Kiler came on in the seventh inning with two runners aboard and one out. He worked out of the jam, then struck out three batters over the final two innings to earn his second save in as many games.
Harris improved his record to 5-4, while Kansas State starter Scott Tallman took the loss (0-2).
The two teams will play again on Saturday at 2 p.m. Mizzou's Pete Sansone (5-0) will pitch against KSU's Chad Duckers (3-4). The series closes on Sunday at 1 p.m.
