University of Missouri
East Tennessee State
Mizzou Drops Season Opener to East Tennessee State
2/9/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Feb. 9, 2006
Box Score
No. 10 Mizzou fell to East Tennessee State by a score of 3-2 on Thursday at the Buccaneer Classic in Charleston, S.C., dropping its first season opener in four years. The Tigers managed only four hits in the loss.
Missouri found it difficult at the plate, as ETSU pitcher Jeremy Hall held the Tigers hitless through five innings. Junior Derek Chambers recorded Mizzou's first hit of the season, with a single to lead off the sixth inning. However, the Tigers did not score a run and left two runners on base in the inning.
The first Tiger run did not cross the plate until the bottom of the eighth inning. Junior Hunter Mense led off the inning with a single, just MU's second hit of the game. He moved to second on a balk, advanced to third fly ball off the bat of junior John McKee and scored on a sacrifice fly by Chambers.
The Tigers would add another run in the bottom of the ninth when junior Gary Arndt singled in senior Trevor Helms, who had doubled earlier in the inning.
East Tennessee State's first two runs were unearned, getting one in the first inning and one in the seventh, before adding a final run in the top of the ninth.
Mizzou junior pitcher Max Scherzer, who was scheduled to start for the Tigers on Thursday, cut a finger on his throwing hand on Tuesday when he caught his hand in a door and will not pitch this weekend. The Tigers used six pitchers in Scherzer's place, with Stephan Holst getting the start.
Missouri takes its first opening day loss since falling to Washington in 2002 and is now 7-4-1 in season openers under Head Coach Tim Jamieson.
Mizzou will face Charleston Southern at 11 a.m. EST (10 a.m. CST) on Friday at Buccaneer Field. Junior Nathan Culp is scheduled to make his first start of the season on Friday for the Tigers. That game, along with all Mizzou games this season can be heard on KTGR 1580-AM in Columbia. The broadcast can also be heard on KTGR.com.
