March 31, 2006

Box Score

LAWRENCE, Kan. - - Junior Nathan Culp struck out the final two batters of the game to finish off his first career complete game shutout with a 3-0 win over Kansas on Friday night in Lawrence. Culp allowed just three hits in the game and struck out five as Mizzou moved to 6-1 in the Big 12, maintaining its lead atop the conference standings.

Culp faced the minimum through 7.2 innings, before allowing back-to-back hits in the eighth inning. The only two base runners for the Jayhawks through the first 7.2 innings, one in the third inning and one in the fourth, were erased on double plays. Culp improved to 6-2 on the season with the victory.

Previously, Culp's career-long outing was an eight-inning start against Wake Forest earlier this season. He did have a seven-inning complete game win in 2005 over North Dakota State in a game that was called after seven due to a run rule. Friday was the first nine-inning complete game for a Tiger pitcher since Max Scherzer went the distance against Nebraska last May.

Senior Trevor Helms put the Tigers on the board with his first home run of the season and the third of his career. After senior Derek Chambers walked, Helms sent a shot over the wall in left to give Mizzou the 2-0 lead. Helms finished 1-for-3 to extend his hitting streak to seven games.

Missouri added a run in the eighth as senior Zane Taylor singled and scored on a base hit by sophomore Jacob Priday.

The shutout was the fourth of the season for Mizzou and it was the first time Kansas has been shutout this season.

Game two of the three-game series is Saturday at 2 p.m. All games can be heard on KTGR 1580-AM in Columbia and on the World Wide Web at www.KTGR.com. Live Stats for this weekend's games will be available through Gametracker on www.mutigers.com.