University of Missouri
Creighton
Baseball Splits Doubleheader to Win Creighton Series
3/8/2003 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 8, 2003
Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score
COLUMBIA, Mo. - Junior right-hander Derek Roper (Elk City, Okla.) had six strikeouts in five and 2/3 innings, and the team's two Smithville, Mo., products - senior OF Jayce Tingler and junior C Brad Flanders - extended their hitting streaks to 12 games to lead the Missouri baseball team to a 6-1 win over Creighton to win the three-game series and split a doubleheader Saturday at Taylor Stadium/Simmons Field.
The Tigers (10-5) had their seven-game winning streak - the longest since a nine-game streak in the middle of the 1999 season - snapped in the opener, losing by a 6-4 count.
In the first game, Eric Wordekemper scattered three hits over five innings and kept the Tiger hitters off-balance in that span. Wordekemper (1-1) was aided by dropping temperatures and winds that kept many fly balls aloft. Sun and temperatures in the mid-60's yielded to overcast skies and the mercury in the mid 30's at the end of the second game.
Mizzou made a game of it once Jeff Daneff was brought in to relieve Wordekemper. With the Bluejays up 5-1, junior OF Lee Laskowski (Clayton, Mo.) doubled down the down the right-field line to score Tingler. Junior Cody Ehlers (Stillwater, Okla.) walked with the bases loaded to another run, and junior OF Ryan Rallo (Chesterfield, Mo.) added a sacrifice fly to plate Laskowski. Yet Steve Grasley was brought in to end the fifth, and pitched the last 3-2/3 to pick up his first save of the season.
The series finale saw the Tigers get on board with three unearned runs in the first two innings, and Mizzou put the game away in the seventh when junior Jeremy Hernandez (Aptos, Calif.) and Zane Taylor (Kirksville, Mo.) led off the inning with singles. Tingler then doubled to right field to score Hernandez and Taylor and put the game away.
After the fine start by Roper (2-0), sophomore righty Travis Wendte (Moore, Okla.) allowed just one run on four hits in the final 3-1/3 innings to pick up his second save of the season.
"I'm pleased with the way the guys battled in the second game. I know it was hard for them to swing the bat with the temperatures," said Head Coach Tim Jamieson. "I thought Creighton did a good job on our hitters in the first game, but our guys did a good job coming back."
Missouri ends its homestand - which was originally scheduled for 10 games, and will now comprise eight games - with a 4 p.m. contest against Lindenwood on Monday at Taylor Stadium. For ticket information, call 1-800-CAT-PAWS (573-884-PAWS in mid-Missouri).
