University of Missouri
Oklahoma State
Mizzou Takes Opener Against OSU
4/16/2010 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 16, 2010
COLUMBIA, Mo.- - The University of Missouri baseball team defeated Oklahoma State by a score of 9-2 on Friday night at Taylor Stadium, recording its first Friday night victory in Big 12 Conference play this season.
Junior Nick Tepesch allowed just two runs on four hits in seven innings pitched to pick up the win. He struck out eight, moving to 3-3 on the season. Tepesch has turned in at least seven innings of work in each of his last four starts and leads the team with 41 strikeouts on the year.
OSU plated the game's first run in the top of the third inning on a solo home run by Davis Duren.
Junior Brett Nicholas put the Tigers in front in the bottom of the fourth inning with a two-run home run. The homer was Nicholas' seventh of the season and extended his hitting streak to nine games. Nicholas added a double in the eighth and finished 2-for-3 on the night with two RBI and three runs scored. He has had at least two hits in eight of the last nine games.
Later in the fourth, freshman Dane Opel and sophomore Russell LaFleur teamed up for back-to-back singles, with Opel scoring on LaFleur's base hit to give the Tigers a 3-1 lead.
Mizzou (19-14, 4-6 Big 12) added two more runs in the sixth without recording a hit. The inning started with three walks. Nicholas, who drew the first walk of the inning, scored when LaFleur reached on a fielder's choice. An error on the play allowed redshirt freshman Andreas Plackis to score and extend the lead to four.
After Oklahoma State (19-13, 3-7) scored once in the seventh inning on a balk, Missouri plated four runs in the eighth inning on four-straight two-out hits. Opel singled to drive in his second run of the game and freshmen Blake Brown and Eric Garcia added RBI singles.
Senior Aaron Senne had his 17-game hitting streak snapped on Friday as he went 0-for-3. The streak was the longest by a Tiger since Jayce Tingler hit safely in 24-straight games in 2002.
Game two of the series is Saturday with first pitch set for 3 p.m. at Taylor Stadium. Freshman Eric Anderson (1-2) is scheduled to pitch for Missouri, while senior lefty Tyler Lyons (2-2) is slated to take the mound for Oklahoma State.
