April 4, 2003
COLUMBIA, Mo. - The Missouri bats were hot again on Friday night, picking up eight runs and hanging on for an 8-6 win over No. 23-ranked Texas Tech in the two teams' Big 12 series opener at Taylor Stadium. The win is Mizzou's 10th in a row, which is the team's longest winning streak since early in the 1998 season. The Tigers (22-8, 7-3 Big 12) have also won their last seven league tilts.
Junior 1B Cody Ehlers (Stillwater, Okla.) was a main cog in Mizzou's offensive wheel against Texas Tech ace Steve Gooch (4-3). Ehlers went 2-for-3 with three RBI and a pair of runs; his eighth multi-RBI game of the season is tied for the team lead.
In addition, junior DH Lee Laskowski (Clayton, Mo.) drove in what would be the game-winning runs in the eighth inning with a clutch one-out single to right on a full count. Laskowski finished the night with two hits and three RBI.
Laskowski's first RBI came during Mizzou's four-run first, which gave the Tigers the lead for good after the Red Raiders (20-11, 4-5) started the scoring with an unearned run in the top half. Leadoff batter Scooter Jordan reached on a dropped fly ball, and a single and a pair of groundouts - the latter by Travis McElroy off Mizzou's Justin James (Yukon, Okla.) - brought Jordan home.
Yet James settled down to strike out four Red Raiders and allow just a fifth-inning single in the next four innings as the Tigers staked to a 6-1 lead.
Texas Tech (20-12, 4-6) came back with a pair in the sixth to chase James, who allowed just four hits and two earned runs in his six innings of work. It is his second straight win (5-3).
Mizzou appeared to get a comfortable lead with a pair of runs in the eighth off Laskowski's single to make it 8-3, yet freshman setup man Nick Admire (Lebanon, Mo.), who got out of a couple of jams in the seventh and eighth, walked his only two batters in the ninth. He gave way to sophomore closer Travis Wendte (Moore, Okla.), who after inducing a double play that allowed one run to score, gave up a single and double before getting T.J. Bruce to whiff to end the game.
"I never felt comfortable with this game because our pitchers never found a rhythm, but our offense scored enough runs to win," Head Coach Tim Jamieson said. "That was real big because we took advantage of our opportunities; we got to them when we needed. We swung the bats well, and that - and the winning streak - is just a matter of confidence."
The Tigers will go for the series win in Saturday's game two. First pitch against the Red Raiders is set for 2 p.m. Sophomore Garrett Broshuis (4-2) is slated to go against Texas Tech's Juan Razo (2-3).