May 5, 2001
COLUMBIA, Mo. -- The University of Missouri baseball team split Saturday's doubleheader with Eastern Kentucky at Taylor Stadium/Simmons Field. Missouri won the opener 5-2 but took a 6-5 loss in game two.
Missouri used three doubles in the seventh inning to pick up the 5-2 win. Luke Cassis gave the Tigers a 3-2 lead when his double drove in Brian Desch, who doubled earlier in the inning. W.T. Hoover drove in Wes Fewell with a sacrifice fly before a Ryan Rallo double scored Cassis for the 5-2 lead. Matt Hobbs improved to 8-4 and Logan Dale recorded his second save of the season. Cassis and Desch each had two hits for MU.
Ryan Stegall hit a home run in the sixth inning, his 12th of the season and 32nd of his career, tying him with Chris Wyrick (1990-93) for fifth place on Missouri's all-time list. Stegall tied a school record with 10 assists. Stegall's performance tied Torre Tyson's mark of 10 assists against Oklahoma on May 1, 1996.
In game two, Missouri turned a triple play in the first inning before using a three-run fourth inning to take a 4-3 lead. The triple play was Missouri's first since the Tigers turned one on May 9, 1981, against Oklahoma.Jon Williams, who hit a solo homer in the second inning, reached on an error and scored on a double by Fewell. Fewell and Cassis scored when Hoover doubled to center field.
Missouri took a 5-3 lead in the sixth inning when Ryan Rallo drove in Fewell, who led off the inning with a single.
Eastern Kentucky scored one run in the seventh and then added two more in the ninth inning to pick up the 6-5 win. The loss marked the first time Missouri lost a game with a lead after eight innings.
Fewell, Williams and Hoover each had two hits for the Tigers.
Eastern Kentucky, reigning regular season champions of the Ohio Valley Conference, improves to 20-26 while Missouri is now 29-21-1.
The teams will complete the series Sunday at 2 p.m.