April 19, 2014
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COLUMBIA, Mo. - A three-run seventh inning for the No. 22 Mississippi State Bulldogs (25-15, 9-8) proved to be the difference as Mizzou (17-20, 6-11) fell 6-2 Saturday (April 19) afternoon at Taylor Stadium, giving the series to the visiting Bulldogs. John Miles (Columbia, Mo.) had a strong start, pitching into the seventh inning and striking out three MSU hitters, though he was charged with four runs. The outing was Miles' longest since March 15, when he also went 6.1 innings against Tennessee.
Junior infielder Brett Peel (St. Charles, Mo.) tallied his first career RBI in the contest, the only RBI of the game for the Tigers. Freshman third baseman Ryan Howard (St. Charles, Mo.) scored both runs for Mizzou, notching his eighth multi-hit game of the season, good for fifth-best on the team.
Mississippi State wasted no time jumping on top, as leadoff hitter Cody Brown hit a leadoff triple on the first pitch he saw and Alex Detz's groundout to second on the next pitch brought Brown in for a 1-0 lead. Miles settled in nicely, though, not allowing another hit through the next two innings. Howard singled to start off the bottom of the third, the Tigers' first hit of the contest. Peel singled him in from second, knotting the game at one run apiece through three frames.
The Bulldogs struck again in the fifth, a two-out RBI single to center by Brown to take a 2-1 lead after the Tigers appeared to escape a jam when Derrick Armstrong was nailed at the dish one out earlier. Mizzou was in business in the bottom of the frame as both Howard and Jake Ring (Ingleside, Ill.) singled to start the inning, and Howard scored on a wild pitch with two outs for a 2-2 tie.
After Mizzou stranded the bases loaded in the sixth, MSU threatened with two on and one out, chasing Miles from the game. Breckin Williams (Oronogo, Mo.) entered with the runners on base, and the Bulldogs jumped on top with a RBI single from Brown for a 3-2 lead. After a walk, Austin Tribby (Springfield, Mo.) took over with the Tigers down by two, and allowed one more run on a two-out walk to give the Bulldogs a 5-2 lead at the seventh-inning stretch.
Alec Rash (Adel, Iowa) entered to pitch in the eighth, throwing a 1-2-3 inning, but the Bulldogs got to him in the ninth, adding one to their lead for a 6-2 final as Ross Mitchell finished off a complete game for MSU.
Mizzou and MSU play the series finale Sunday (April 20) at 1 p.m. Keep up to date with Mizzou baseball by following the team on Twitter (@MizzouBaseball) or checking in to MUTigers.com.
