University of Missouri
Nebraska
Tigers Continue to Roll
5/3/2009 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 3, 2009
LINCOLN, Neb.- - Missouri pounded out three home runs and senior Steve Gray drove in four as the Tigers finished off a three-game sweep of Nebraska with a 12-9 win on Sunday in Lincoln, Neb. Gray was 2-for-5 and scored twice, in addition to his four RBI. Seniors Kyle Mach and Ryan Lollis each added a pair of hits to extend their hitting streaks to nine and seven games, respectively. Senior Austin Holt was 2-for-4 with his first career home run.
The Tigers (28-21, 14-10 Big 12) have won seven-straight games and have been victorious in 11 of their last 13. They have swept back-to-back Big 12 series and have won eight of their last nine conference games.
The sweep in Lincoln is the first for Missouri since a two-game sweep in 1996 and is its first three-game sweep on the road against the Huskers since 1963. Mizzou has won six-straight against NU, as it also swept last year's series between the two teams.
Each team put runs on the board in the second inning as Nebraska answered a three-run top of the second by Mizzou with five runs in the bottom half of the inning.
All three runs by Missouri in the second were unearned after Gray opened the inning by reaching on an error. Gray scored on a sacrifice fly by junior Michael Liberto. Sophomore Ryan Ampleman followed Gray by drawing a walk and later in the inning scored on a balk. Holt also walked in the second and scored on a single by senior Ryan Lollis.
Nebraska (21-16-1, 5-19) sent 10 batters to the plate in the bottom of the second, which started with a triple by Nick Sullivan. The Huskers got six hits in the inning, including RBI singles from Ben Kline, Cody Asche and D.J. Belfonte.
The Huskers starter Sean Yost retired nine of the next 10 batters following the three-run second inning, before a four-run top of the sixth put Mizzou back in front. Doubles by senior Kyle Mach and Ampleman pulled the Tigers to within one run and a two-run home run by from freshman Conner Mach gave Missouri the lead. It was Conner Mach's second homer of the season.
The Tigers fourth run in the sixth came when Liberto reached on an error and then scored on wild pitch. The four-run sixth started a span of three innings in which Missouri scored nine runs.
After Kyle Mach singled to start the seventh inning, Gray hit a two-run home run, his third of the year, to make it a 9-5 advantage. The Tigers then added three in the top of the eighth, getting a two-run double by Gray and a solo home run from senior Austin Holt, the first of his career.
Sophomore Nick Tepesch earned with win to move to 5-4 on the year. He struck out five and did not walk a batter in six innings pitched. Tepesch allowed five runs, three of which were earned, on nine hits.
Following the five-run Nebraska second inning, Tepesch settled in, allowing only two hits over the next four innings, including 1-2-3 innings in the fourth and sixth, before handing it over to bullpen to start the seventh.
The Huskers loaded the bases with no outs in the ninth and scored three times, before sophomore Brad Buehler struck out Boomer Collins for the final out.
The Tigers will return to Taylor Stadium on Tuesday, taking on Missouri State at 6:30 p.m. That game opens a seven-game homestand that will take Mizzou through the end of the regular season.
