April 18, 2000

Box Score

COLUMBIA, MO -- Mike Rallo's single to center field with two outs in the ninth inning Tuesday night drove home Landon Brandes with the winning run enabling the Missouri Tigers to snap a three-game losing streak with a 3-2 victory over the Kansas Jayhawks at Taylor Stadium at Simmons Field.

Brandes, who hit his fifth home run of the season to give Mizzou (23-16) a 1-0 lead in the second inning, opened the ninth with a single to right center off of Kansas reliever Sam Gish. He moved to second base on a sacrifice bunt by Jon Williams and scored on Rallo's hit after Nick Wilfong had struck out.

The victory was Missouri's fourth in a row against non-conference opponents, and gave it a 3-1 series edge against the Jayhawks this season. Kansas (21-21) had beaten nationally ranked Wichita State in its last two non-league affairs.

The Tigers' ninth-inning heroics made a winner of Logan Dale (4-4), who allowed two hits and struck out four in three innings of relief. Drew Endicott pitched the first six innings for Missouri and left the game with the score tied 2-2. Gish pitched the ninth inning and was the loser (1-4).

Brandes' home run was all that Missouri could muster off of Kansas starter Brandon O'Neal for seven innings. Kansas took a 2-1 lead in the sixth inning. John Nelson, who was 4-for-4 on the night, led off the inning with a single and stole his 30th base of the season. Doug Dreher drove him in with a single down the rightfield line but was thrown out at second base by MU rightfielder J.R. Warner. With two outs, Shane Wedd homered into the bullpen in leftfield.

The Tigers tied the score in the bottom of the sixth when Ryan Stegall followed a walk to Jayce Tingler and a single by Warner with a sacrifice fly to centerfield.

Missouri hosts the Cal State-Northridge Matadors in a three-game, non-conference series this weekend. Friday night's game starts at 7 p.m., and will be followed by a 2 p.m. contest on Saturday and a 12 p.m. Easter Sunday affair.