March 27, 2000

Box Score

LAWRENCE, KS -- Nick Wilfong and Jon Williams highlighted a 6-run fifth inning Sunday with back-to-back home runs as the Missouri Tigers won a 10-7 decision over the Kansas Jayhawks at Hoglund Ballpark and won the Big 12 Conference baseball series, two games to one.

All six runs in the fifth on Sunday came with two outs. Wilfong's homer was a three-run job, giving him a team-leading four home runs on the season - three of those in conference play. Williams was involved in back-to-back homers for the second time this season. He joined Ryan Stegall with consecutive home runs in the season opener at Pepperdine.

J.R. Warner cemented the victory for Missouri (16-10, 5-4) with a two-run home run in the ninth inning.

Pete Sansone, battling a head cold, pitched the first five-and-a-third innings and improved his record to 3-0. He left the game with a 7-2 lead and let relievers Ralph McCasland, Mitch Kiler and Stegall complete the contest. At 5-4 in the Big 12, Missouri is tied with Oklahoma for fifth place in the conference standings, and is only a game-and-a-half from second place.

On Saturday, Stegall went four-for-five and drove in five runs as Missouri cruised to a 12-2 victory. He hit a home run during a six-run eighth inning that broke open the game.

Logan Dale pitched into the eighth inning and struck out a season-high 10 KU batters in squaring his record at 3-3.

Warner, Mike Rallo and Luke Cassis contributed to Mizzou's 15-hit attack with two hits apiece.

Kansas rode the pitching of lefty Pete Smart to a 3-0 victory over the Tigers in the season-opener on Friday. Smart scattered nine Missouri hits and went the distance in improving his record to 5-4. He tied a career high with seven strikeouts and didn't walk anyone.

Missouri stranded eight base runners and committed two errors that allowed the Jayhawks two unearned runs. Stegall, Rallo and Wilfong each had two hits. Jon Harris pitched seven strong innings and didn't allow an earned run, but took the loss (2-2).