June 2, 2006

MALIBU, Calif.-- - Despite a late rally, the University of Missouri baseball team fell to Pepperdine 3-2 on Friday to open play in the NCAA Regional in Malibu, Calif. The Tigers trailed by two heading to the ninth inning and scored a run to pull with in one, but a diving stop by the Waves' second baseman ended the Tigers' rally.

The game was scoreless through the first five innings before MU senior Derek Chambers gave the Tigers a 1-0 lead with his sixth home run of the season to lead off the top of the sixth inning. Chambers has had a hit in seven of the last eight games and 12 of the last 14.

Pepperdine (41-19) answered by scoring an unearned run in the bottom of the sixth. The Waves had just one hit in the inning, a lead off single which ended a string of nine-straight batters retired by Scherzer. The run was the first allowed by Scherzer in 17 innings pitched dating back to the third inning against Texas on May 19.

The Waves broke the tie with two runs in the seventh inning on back-to-back RBI doubles with two outs in the frame.

The Tigers (31-26) attempted to rally in the ninth, scoring one run on a two-out RBI base hit by senior J.C. Field. The tying run was on third when the final out of the game was recorded.

Field finished 2-for-4 on the day and has had at least two hits in five of the last seven games. Chambers and senior Zane Taylor each had two-hit games on Friday and Taylor extended his hitting streak to seven games.

Scherzer struck out one, the fewest strikeouts he has had in his 30 starts with Mizzou. He allowed three runs - two earned - on seven hits in seven innings on the mound.

The Tigers will face UC-Irvine at 11 a.m. pacific time (1 p.m. central) on Saturday. UCLA defeated UC-Irvine 3-2 in the first game of the day.