University of Missouri
Illinois
Mizzou Downs Illini, 14-2
5/17/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 17, 2006
O'FALLON, Mo.-- - Junior Hunter Mense had four hits and junior Gary Arndt added three, including a home run on Wednesday night as Mizzou snapped its three-game losing skid with a 14-2 win over Illinois at T.R. Hughes Ballpark in O'Fallon, Mo. With the victory the Tigers improve to 26-24 on the season, while Illinois falls to 27-25.
Mense drove in four runs on the night, going 4-for-5. Arndt was 3-for-5, driving in three and scoring three times.
Missouri jumped on the Illini early with a six-run bottom of the first, as the Tigers batted around in the inning, sending 10 batters to the plate. With MU already holding a 3-0 lead, Arndt connected for his fourth home run of the season with a three-run shot with one out in the first. Mense also had an RBI hit, knocking in two runs on a one-out single in the inning.
The Tigers put two more runs on the board as senior J.C. Field drove in a pair of runs with a single in the third inning. Field drove in another run with a bases loaded single as part of a four-run bottom of the fifth inning. The first five batters to the plate in the fifth reached safely including sophomore Evan Frey who drove in two runs with a single.
Mense drove in two more runs with a single with two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning.
Illinois scored its first run of the game in the sixth inning as Mike Rhode singled to drive in Kyle Hudson for an unearned run as an error aided the Illini in the inning. UI added a second run in the eighth inning as Trevor Huisinga scored on a sacrifice hit. Huisinga reached on an error, making both runs on the night scored by the Illini unearned.
Junior Nathan Culp pitched the first two innings on Wednesday night, facing the minimum and was credited with the win, improving to 10-5 on the year. Culp threw just 20 pitches, 17 of which were for strikes. He did not throw a ball until his 14th pitch of the game.
Missouri will close out the regular season with a three-game series this weekend at Taylor Stadium against Texas. Game one of the weekend will get underway at 6:30 p.m. on Friday. For tickets, call 1-800-CAT-PAWS (884-PAWS in Columbia) or visit mutigers.com. All games can be heard on KTGR 1580-AM in Columbia and at ktgr.com. Live stats will also be available on mutigers.com.
