University of Missouri
Miami (Fla.)
Missouri Edged By Miami in Regional Play
5/31/2008 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 31, 2008
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CORAL GABLES, Fla. - - No. 2-seed Mizzou fell to top-seed Miami by a score of 6-5 on Saturday in the NCAA Coral Gables Regional and will now need to win three-straight games in order to keep its season alive. After the Tigers tied the game with two runs in the top of the eighth inning, Miami retook the lead in the bottom half of the eighth.
Mizzou (39-20) fell behind 5-0 after three innings, but cut the lead to two with a three-run fifth inning and tied the game when junior Steve Gray hit a two-run home run in the top of the eighth inning. However, the Hurricanes answered by plating what would be the game-winning run in the bottom of the eighth.
Missouri will now take on Ole Miss on Sunday at Noon ET (11 a.m. CT) in an elimination game.
Miami (49-8) scored in each of the first three innings, getting a run in the first, then a pair of two-run home runs in the next two innings. Blake Tekotte hit his 11th home run of the year in the second and Ryan Jackson connected on his third homer of the year in the third inning, giving the Hurricanes a 5-0 lead.
After the Jackson home run, junior pitcher Rick Zagone retired the next six batters, including striking out four of the next five he faced.
Mizzou scored three times in the fifth inning to cut the lead to two. The Tigers loaded the bases with consecutive singles from junior Kyle Mach, sophomore Greg Folgia and junior Ryan Lollis. Sophomore Aaron Senne then connected on a fourth-straight single in the inning to drive in Mach and Folgia. Lollis would score when senior Jacob Priday reached on a fielders' choice.
Sophomore Trevor Coleman led off the top of the eighth inning with a double and two batters later, Gray hit his 10th home run of the season to tie the game at five.
Miami regained the lead with a run in the bottom half of the eighth inning, getting a walk and back-to-back singles, with the second from Yasmani Grandal driving in the go-ahead run.
The Tigers, who defeated Ole Miss, 7-0, on Friday, will rematch with the Rebels on Sunday. They will need to beat Ole Miss and then defeat Miami twice to advance to the Super Regionals.
All games of the Coral Gables Regional can be seen on ESPNU. Mizzou's games can also be heard on KTGR 1580-AM in Columbia and at KTGR.com.
