Feb. 24, 2006
Junior Max Scherzer struck out eight batters and allowed just one run on three hits and the Tigers scored 14 runs against the No. 1 Florida Gators in a 14-5 win on the opening day of the Pepsi Baseball Classic in Gainesville, Fla. Sophomore Jacob Priday had five hits and the top two Tigers in the batting order, seniors Trevor Helms and Zane Taylor, were a combined 8-for-11 in the victory.
The win was the first for Mizzou over a No. 1 ranked team since an 8-0 win over then No.-1 ranked Texas on May 1, 2004.
Scherzer, making his second start of the season, improved to 2-0 with the win. He faced the minimum through three innings and struck out seven of the first 12 batters he faced. He pitched seven innings, striking out eight and walking just one.
No. 12 Mizzou (5-2) scored early and often, getting to Gator starting pitcher Bryan Ball with two runs in the top of the first inning on back-to-back RBI doubles by junior Hunter Mense and Priday. Mense's double found the gap in right center field and Priday followed with a ground-rule which hopped over double over the wall in center field.
Priday was 5-for-6 on the night, driving in three runs and scoring twice. It was the second five-hit game of his career, matching the five hits he had against Navy nearly one year ago to the day, Feb. 25, 2005.
The Tigers continued the offensive outburst, with a five-run second inning, knocking Ball out of the game after just 1.2 innings. After the first Tiger to the plate in the second struck out, the next five all singled and later in the inning, junior John McKee doubled to drive in a pair of runs and end Ball's night. Ball allowed a career-high seven runs and matched a career high by giving up nine hits in his outing.
McKee, who finished 3-for-5 with three RBI, gave MU an 8-0 lead with his first home run of the season, a towering shot that cleared the bleachers beyond the left field wall. McKee's homer was the 12th hit of the night for MU, which surpassed the previous season high of 11 the Tigers had against Charleston Southern on Feb. 10. They finished with 22 hits, the most since recording a school-record 26 against Navy last February.
Missouri put together another big inning in the fifth, scoring four times with an RBI double from Mense and a two-run single from junior Derek Chambers, along with a sacrifice fly by Mense.
Helms was 4-for-6 and Taylor finished 4-for-5 against the Gators, matching career highs for both.
Trailing 14-1, Florida (7-2) would add two runs in the bottom of the eighth and scored a pair in the ninth for the 14-5 final.
The Pepsi Baseball Classic continues on Saturday when the Tigers will take on Wake Forest at 6:30 p.m. EST (5:30 p.m. CST). Junior Nathan Culp, who is 2-0 on the year, will take the mound for MU against WFU. Saturday's game can be heard on KTGR 1580-AM in Columbia and on the Web at KTGR.com.