University of Missouri
Cal Poly
Baseball Team Loses Two in Arizona
2/16/2003 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Feb. 16, 2003
Phoenix, AZ -
The University of Missouri baseball team lost two games at the Rawlings/Oakland A's Spring Training Tournament today at Papago Park in Phoenix, Arizona. After seeing their scheduled games on Thursday and Friday canceled due to rain and oversaturated fields, the Tigers played two games on Saturday. However the long layoff and uncertainty of playing showed in their performance. The Tigers (2-3) lost both games, 5-3 to Northwestern and 4-2 to Cal Poly.
In the first game of the day the Wildcats of Northwestern (1-0) struck first, with a little help from the Tigers. The Wildcats scored five runs in the bottom-half of the second. Three of the runs were unearned, as the Wildcats scored three of the runs with two outs in the inning.
The Tigers scored their first run of the game in the top-half of the third. Freshman Zane Taylor (Kirksville, Mo./Kirksville) walked, senior Jayce Tingler (Smithville, Mo./Smithville) was hit by a pitch and junior Ian Kinsler (Tucson, Ariz./Canyon del Oro) walked to load the bases with one out. Wildcat pitched J.A. Happ then unloaded a wild pitch that scored Taylor to cut the Wildcat deficit to 5-1. The Tigers then struck out and then grounded out with runners at second and third to end the Tiger threat.
The Tigers added another run in the seventh when Kinsler knocked in Brad Flanders (Smithville, Mo./Smithville) with a sacrifice fly. The top of the ninth saw Flanders score again off a Tingler RBI single. But a doubleplay and a pop-up to the shortstop ended the inning and the game. The final: Wildcats 5, Tigers 3. Happ picked up the victory, his first of the year and Mark Ori picked up the save. Justin James was collared with his first lose of the season, giving up 5 runs (2 earned) in 6 innings.
In the second game of the day, the Tigers scored first against Cal Poly (6-5). Tingler doubled to right and moved to third on a sac fly to deep left by Kinsler. Junior Cody Ehlers (Stillwater, Okla./Stillwater) drove in Kinsler with a single, giving the Tigers an early 1-0 lead. The Mustangs scored two in the fourth to take the lead, 2-1. The Tigers answered in the bottom-half of the fourth, tying the game up at two apiece when Ehlers scored after reaching on a two-base error.
The Tigers had another opportunity in the ninth. Junior Jeremy Hernandez (Aptos, Calif./Harbor) walked to lead off the inning, Flanders singled and the Tigers had runners at first and second with no outs. Pinch hitter Adam Garrett struck out and the Mustangs caught the Hernandez in a rundown for the strike-them-out, throw-them-out doubleplay. Taylor then struck out to end the game, 4-2 in favor of the Mustangs. Josh Kougl (1-1) picked up the win for the Mustangs and Nolan Moser earned the save. The Tigers Garrett Broshuis suffered the loss and dropped to 0-2 for the season.
The Tigers scheduled game against Northwestern on Sunday has been cancelled due to the field conditions at Municipal Stadium.
