University of Missouri
Missouri State
Mizzou Falls in Walkoff Fashion
4/14/2010 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 14, 2010
SPRINGFIELD, Mo.- - Keneen Maddox's two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth inning gave Missouri State a 5-4 walkoff win over Mizzou on Wednesday night in Springfield, Mo. The loss drops the Tigers to 18-14 on the year, while MSU improves to 13-20.
Junior Jeff Scardino struck out a season-best five in 6.1 innings pitched, allowing two runs on just two hits. He left the game with the lead, but took a no decision.
Freshman Dane Opel drove in the first run of the game with a single in the top of the second inning, which pushed junior Brett Nicholas across the plate. Nicholas had singled to lead off the inning, extending his hitting streak to eight games. It is his second eight-game hitting streak this season. Plackis scored the second run of the inning, crossing the plate on a bunt by freshman Blake Brown.
Scardino held the Bears without a hit and faced the minimum through 4.1 innings pitched. The first MSU hit was a home run by Maddox with one out in the bottom of the fifth inning, to cut the Mizzou lead in half. Prior to Maddox's homer, the lone baserunner allowed by Scardino was Aaron Conway, who drew a walk in the fourth inning after Scardino retired the first 10 batters he faced. Conway was thrown out attempting to steal second.
Sophomore Russell LaFleur pushed the lead back to two in the next half inning as the connected on a solo home run in the top of the sixth. It was his second home run of the year.
MSU tied the game with a two-run seventh inning and threatened to take the lead as it had the bases loaded with one out, when MU senior shortstop Michael Liberto and freshman second baseman Eric Garcia turned a double play to end the inning.
The first three Tigers to bat in the eighth inning all reached base, with the third being Plackis, who drove in senior Aaron Senne with a single up the middle, putting the go-ahead run on the board.
In the bottom of the ninth Tyler Paxon singled and Maddox hit his second home run of the day to give MSU the 5-4 victory.
Senne was 1-for-3 on the night. His single in the third inning extended hits hitting streak to 17 games. That streak is the longest by a Tigers since Jayce Tingler hit safely in 24-straight games in 2002.
The Tigers and Bears will meet again on May 4 in Columbia. Missouri returns to Taylor Stadium this weekend to Oklahoma State in a three-game series, starting at 6 p.m. on Friday.
