April 26, 2006
KANSAS CITY, Kan.-- - Leading Southeast Missouri State by two, Mizzou scored nine runs in the ninth inning to put the game away, taking a 14-3 win at the Best of the Midwest Tournament in Kansas City on Wednesday. Three Tigers homered in the game as the Tigers pounded out 17 hits against the Redhawks.
Junior Max Scherzer started for the Tigers, making his first appearance on the mound since April 8. He struck out five of the seven batters he faced in two innings of work. He hit the first batter of the game, but struck out the next three batters in the first inning. Scherzer then gave up a lead off walk in the second inning before striking out the next two batters then picking off the baserunner to end the inning.
After neither team managed a hit through the first three innings, Southeast Missouri State put the first hits and runs on the board with a two-run bottom of the fourth. The Redhawks opened the inning with a single by Levi Olsen and a double by Andrew Graham. Both would score in the inning to give SEMO the 2-0 lead.
The lead would be short-lived as Missouri junior Gary Arndt connected for his third home run of the season, with a three-run shot with one out in the top of the fifth. Arndt is second on the team with three homers this season and now has five for his career.
For the second-straight inning, SEMO (15-24) had back-to-back hits to start the fifth, getting a lead off double from Jordan Payne. He would score later in the inning to tie the game at three.
The Tigers would quickly regain the lead, as sophomore Jacob Priday led off the top of the sixth inning with a home run that easily cleared the left field wall.
Missouri (19-20) added a run with an RBI single by freshman Ryan Lollis in the eighth inning.
The Tigers then exploded for nine runs in the ninth inning, seven of which scored before an out was recorded in the inning. Priday hit his second home run of the game, a two-run shot that followed a two-run triple by senior Zane Taylor. Lollis also added a three-run homer in the ninth for his first home run as a Tiger.
Missouri will return to Taylor Stadium this weekend for a three-game series with Baylor which will open at 6:30 p.m. on Friday. Games will continue at 2 p.m. on Saturday and 1 p.m. on Sunday. All games can be heard on KTGR 1580-AM in Columbia and at KTGR.com. Live video will also be available through Mizzou All-Access on mutigers.com.