University of Missouri
North Dakota
Four Home Runs Lead Tigers to Win
3/18/2010 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 18, 2010
COLUMBIA, Mo.- - Missouri matched it's season-high with 17 runs on 17 hits to take the opener of a four-game series with North Dakota by a score of 17-5 on Thursday at Taylor Stadium. The Tigers used four home runs and an 11-run third inning to take the victory.
After scoring a run in each of the first two innings, Mizzou sent 16 batters to the plate in the bottom of the third, getting eight hits, five of which went for extra bases. Junior Jonah Schmidt and freshman Eric Garcia each had two hits in the third inning. Schmidt's second hit of the frame was a two-run double and Garcia drove in a run with a single.
Schmidt finished the day 3-for-4 with three RBI and two runs scored. Garcia was also 3-for-4 with one RBI and two runs scored.
Junior Brett Nicholas drove in the first runs of the third inning with a two-run home run. It was his second home run of the year and extended his hitting streak to six games. Senior Michael Liberto had a three-run triple in the inning and continues to lead Mizzou with a .426 batting average.
The 11-runs were the most MU has scored in an inning since putting 11 on the board in the second inning of a 19-2 win over Mississippi Valley State in May of 2006.
Freshman Kale Gaden gave the Tigers their run in the second inning, as he connected on his first career home run. Gaden added a double in the third inning to finish 2-for-4 on the night.
Senior Aaron Senne homered in the fourth inning and was 2-for-3 in the game. The home run was his team-leading fifth of the season and the 31st of his career, which is ninth most in school history, one behind eighth place Chris Wyrick. Senne is also ninth in the Mizzou record books with 165 career RBI.
Sophomore Conner Mach hit the Tigers' fourth home run of the night, connecting on a solo shot as a pinch hitter in the seventh inning.
The 17 runs matched the 17 runs scored against Washington on Feb. 20 and the 17 hits in the in the game are the most for Missouri since a 19-hit performance against Texas Tech last April.
Mizzou improves to 8-6 on the year, while North Dakota fall to 1-7.
The schedule for the remainder of the series has been changed from what was originally on the slate. The two teams will play a doubleheader on Friday with game one of the twin-bill set to start at 4 p.m. at Taylor Stadium. The series will conclude with a single game at 1 p.m. on Saturday.
