University of Missouri
Oklahoma
Hernandez Single Gives Tigers 7-6 Win Over Oklahoma
5/17/2003 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 17, 2003
COLUMBIA, Mo. - Junior 2B Jeremy Hernandez (Aptos, Calif.) drove a liner into left field to score freshman 3B Zane Taylor (Kirksville, Mo.) in the eighth inning, sending the Mizzou baseball team to a 7-6 win over Oklahoma at Taylor Stadium on Saturday.
The win gives the Tigers (34-17, 15-10 Big 12) their first series win over Oklahoma since 1991, and it also guarantees at least a fifth-place finish in the Big 12 standings; with either a win in the regular-season finale on Sunday or a Baylor loss at Nebraska, Mizzou will finish fourth.
"This was a great win; it says a lot about our club, and typifies our club this season," said Head Coach Tim Jamieson. "We didn't play well, but we played well enough to win. They had all of the momentum in the world, and we kept making clutch base hits."
Oklahoma (21-29, 9-17) tallied four runs in the second with the help of just one hit off Tiger starter Garrett Broshuis (Advance, Mo.), who allowed just two hits in his five-inning no-decision. The Sooners' final run of the inning was scored amid great confusion. With the bases loaded, LaFringe Hayes hit a liner to Taylor that slipped out of his glove. Taylor threw to second in an attempt to start an inning-ending double play, and unbeknownst to the Tigers did in fact make the force. Hernandez threw home to attempt a force of Matt Arkinson, and then the Tiger defense was able to induce a rundown to get the third out. Since Reggie Willits was in fact forced at second, the force was no longer in effect for Arkison, who simply touched home following the throw from second.
Yet the Tigers tallied five in the bottom of the third to take the lead. Junior RF Kyle Johnson (Omaha, Neb.) singled, and with one out, Hernandez walked and senior CG Jayce Tingler (Smithville, Mo.) was hit by a pitch from OU starter David Purcey to load the bases. Junior SS Ian Kinsler (Tucson, Ariz.) singled up the middle to score a pair, and following an infield single from junior LF Ryan Rallo (Chesterfield, Mo.), another pair of runs came home on a single by junior C Brad Flanders (Smithville, Mo.). Taylor then got an RBI of his own with a single to center.
Kinsler added a sacrifice fly in the fourth to plate sophomore DH Bo Davis (Tulsa, Okla.) with an unearned run.
With junior RHP Andy Shipman (Bellevue, Neb.) on in relief of Broshuis, Oklahoma led of the sixth with a single to right and a double over Tingler's head. The Sooners scored both baserunners on RBI groundouts to tie the game. In all Shipman (8-2) gave up just four hits and a pair of runs in his four innings to win his seventh straight decision.
In the eighth, Taylor singled up the middle off reliever Mike Swindell (2-6) and advanced to second on Johnson's sacrifice. Then with two out, Hernandez singled Taylor home for the winning run.
The Tigers will attempt the series sweep on Sunday by sending junior Derek Roper (Elk City, Okla.) to the hill against OU's Buddy Blair.
