University of Missouri
Coastal Carolina
Mizzou Defeats Coastal Carolina in Extra Innings
2/19/2004 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Feb. 19, 2004
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C.-- - It took extra innings for the Missouri baseball team to win a battle of unbeatens, as it defeated Coastal Carolina 12-10 in ten innings in the opening day of the Beach Blasts in Myrtle Beach, S.C. The Tigers are 4-0 for the first time since the 1999 season, while Coastal drops to 3-1.
After building and giving up a five-run lead, the Tigers scored two runs, both unearned in the top of the tenth inning to take the victory. With one out, sophomore SS Zane Taylor reached on an error by the shortstop and advanced to second when freshman OF Hunter Mense walked. Two batters later, senior C Brad Flanders hit a two-out double down the left field line, driving in both Taylor and Mense.
Senior RHP Mark Alexander shutdown Coastal in the bottom of the inning to preserve the win for Mizzou.
The game was a back-and-forth battle with Coastal Carolina getting on the board first with a 2-run home run of the bat of Mike Costanzo in the first inning. Tiger starting pitcher Danny Hill settled down after the home run, as he retired the next eight batters, including six on strike outs. Costanzo then stepped in to lead off the bottom of the fourth and connected on his second homer of the game.
Mizzou's first runs came in the top of the third inning. With one out, junior 3B Cosme Caballero walked and sophomore RF James Boone singled to right. Boone was 3-for-5 and scored two runs in the game. Sophomore CF Tyler Williams then walked to load the bases followed by another walk as senior DH Ryan Rallo drew a free pass which drove in Caballero with the first Tiger run. Boone then scored the second run of the inning on a sacrifice fly by sophomore Taylor.
The Tigers extended their lead in the fifth inning, by scoring five runs, as the first six batters reached base on two hits and four walks. Boone and senior LF Lee Laskowski had the hits for MU. Laskowski's bloop single down the right field line drove in two.
The lead grew to five as Rallo drove in his third run of the day with a double that scored Williams, who had reached on a single earlier in the inning.
Coastal trimmed the lead to one with a four-run sixth inning with the big hit being a two-run double off the bat of Chris Raber.
Mizzou added two unearned runs in the top of the ninth inning, as the Tigers had two hits and were aided by two Coastal Carolina errors. Coastal then rallied to score three runs in the bottom of the ninth to tie the game at ten and send it to extra innings, where Missouri was able to take the victory.
Hill pitched five strong innings. He struck out nine, allowed six hits and left the game with the lead. Alexander got the win for his first victory of the year.
The Tigers will continue play in the Beach Blast at 10 a.m. (9 a.m. central) on Friday against Rider. Mizzou Baseball can be heard on the ZRG Radio Network (1580 KTGR in Columbia) and online at www.KTGR.com.
