May 17, 2014

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COLUMBIA, Mo. - A two-out RBI single by Michael Bernal pushed No. 24 Arkansas (35-21) ahead of Mizzou (20-33) in the 11th inning, giving the Razorbacks a 7-5 win over the Tigers in the season finale for Mizzou Saturday afternoon (May 17) at Taylor Stadium. Mizzou took a 5-1 lead into the game's final inning, but Arkansas battled for four runs off of Keaton Steele (St. Joseph, Mo.) in the game's final frame, ending Steele's strong performance on a sour note. He finished with seven strikeouts and scattered 11 hits over his 8.1 innings, finishing with 132 pitches on the day.

Mizzou seniors Eric Anderson (Highlands Ranch, Colo), Dylan Kelly (Roswell, Ga.), Dillon Everett (Phoenix, Ariz.) and Kendall Keeton (Columbia, Tenn.) all recorded hits in their final collegiate game, with Anderson driving in two runs and scoring twice. Kelly and Everett both recorded one RBI in the contest, and Keeton recorded two hits and scored a run.

Steele worked out of a jam in the first, responding to a walk and a single by inducing a double play to end the threat and keep Arkansas off the board. The Tigers put their first two batters on base in the bottom of the frame, but they were held scoreless in part because of a great play by Bobby Wernes to rob Ryan Howard (St. Charles, Mo.) of a single on a liner to the left side. Mizzou again had its first two hitters reach in the second, but again the runners were left stranded on the corners.

Keeton's single in the fourth inning was the Tigers' first hit of the contest, and he advanced to third due to two straight wild pitches from Arkansas reliever Colin Poche. Everett's infield single to the left side in the next at bat scored Keeton, giving Mizzou a 1-0 lead. The Tigers then extended the lead two batters later as Anderson shot a RBI double down the left field line, scoring Everett and Jake Ring (Ingleside, Ill.) and claiming a 3-0 advantage. The lead grew to four as a wild pitch from Zach Jackson allowed Anderson to score from third with two outs in the frame.

Kelly's double with two outs in the bottom of the sixth extended his hitting streak to 11 games, a personal best, as well as putting him alone as the team leader in doubles on the season. Arkansas got on the board in the seventh inning, taking advantage of a two-out RBI single to right field by Wernes, reducing the Mizzou lead to 4-1.

After Kelly added to the Tiger lead in the bottom of the eighth to push the lead to 5-1, scoring Anderson, Arkansas battled back with four runs in the top of the ninth as they chased Steele from the game with one out in the inning. Pearson walked in the bottom of the frame to lead off, though the Tigers couldn't score. Arkansas capitalized in the top of the 11th inning, driving in two runs to give the Razorbacks the win.

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