Tigers Drop Home Opener to Milwaukee, 7-4

Friday, March 6

Columbia, Mo.

4:05 PM

University of Missouri

10-2

Milwaukee

6-3

Milwaukee

Mizzou

3/6/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

COLUMBIA, Mo. - Senior Brett Peel (St. Charles, Mo.) led Mizzou (10-2) with two RBI, both coming on a double to center in the fifth inning, but the Tigers fell in their home opener by a 7-4 tally on Friday night (March 6) at Taylor Stadium. Chris Akmon (Scottsdale, Ariz.) tallied his first RBI at Mizzou, the Tigers' first run of the day.

Reggie McClain (Duluth, Ga.) suffered his first loss at Mizzou after being charged with five runs in 5.1 innings. Milwaukee's Sam Koenig did the most damage for the Panthers offensively, totaling three RBI. The loss snapped the Tigers' six-game winning streak.

The Panthers struck early against McClain, taking advantage of two-out RBI hits from Koenig and Mike Porcaro as the visitors claimed a 2-0 edge in the first. Milwaukee threatened again in the second inning, but McClain escaped a bases-loaded, one-out jam by inducing a 4-6-3 double play to escape unharmed.

Daulton Varsho hit a leadoff homer for Milwaukee in the top of the fourth to extend the lead to three. The Panthers' Mitch Ghelfi notched a RBI single later in the inning, claiming a 4-0 lead. The Tigers answered in their next at bat, starting with three straight hits to load the bases with no outs, then Akmon walked to cut the deficit to 4-1. Peel then drove in two with a double to center, bring Mizzou back to within one through five.

John Miles (Columbia, Mo.) relieved McClain in the sixth after Milwaukee got a one-out triple, getting a groundout before giving up a two-run homer to center off Koenig's bat as the Panthers took a 6-3 lead. Mizzou got one back in the next inning as Jake Ring (Ingleside, Ill.) walked with the bases loaded to bring in a run and make it 6-4. The visitors expanded on the lead once again in the eighth, tacking on a run on a wild pitch from Miles and producing the final score of 7-4.

The Tigers and Panthers play again Saturday (March 7) at 2:05 pm. For all the latest on Mizzou baseball, follow the team on Twitter (@MizzouBaseball) or check in to MUTigers.com.