March 19, 2004
COLUMBIA, Mo.-- - Mizzou put its second highest run total of the season on the board on Friday, as it picked up a 19-2 victory in the opening game of a three-game series with Chicago State on Friday. Hidden behind the 19 runs and 20 hits that the Tigers put up was a dominate pitching performance by senior RHP Danny Hill and freshman RHP Michael Cole.
Hill recorded the win to move to 2-1 on the year, as he struck 11 batters in seven innings, giving up just two hits. Both hits came in the second inning and the second was a two-run home run by CSU's Elliott Reyes for the Cougars only runs of the game.
After that, Hill and the Tigers batters took control of the game. Mizzou scored five runs in the bottom of the second and added five more in the third inning. MU exploded again in the seventh, putting six runs across the plate.
Senior C Brad Flanders had the big hit of the second inning, a three-run homer to put Mizzou on top 3-2. Flanders added a second home run of the game and the fifth of the season with a two-run shot in the eighth inning. He finished the game 4-for-5 with three runs scored and five RBI.
Senior DH Lee Laskowski and freshman SS Gary Arndt each had home runs in the third and senior Cody Ehlers added a two-run home run in the eighth inning. In all, Mizzou had 11 extra base hits and its 20 total hits are a season high.
Laskowski was 3-for-5 with two runs scored and three RBI and senior 3B Jeremy Hernandez went 3-for-4, scoring two runs and driving in one.
Cole came on in relief of Hill in the eighth and did not allow a run or hit to the Cougars in two innings, while striking out four.
Missouri and Chicago State will take the field for game two of the series at 2 p.m. on Saturday and the final game of the series will start at 1 p.m. on Sunday. The ZRG Radio Network (1580 KTGR in Columbia) will carry all of the Tigers' games with Tex Little and Luke Cassis providing the commentary. The broadcasts can also be heard online www.KTGR.com.