MILLINGTON, Tenn. - Mizzou baseball won its fourth and fifth consecutive games while sweeping a doubleheader against UIC on Saturday afternoon (Feb. 28) at USA Stadium. Junior infielder Josh Lester (Columbus, Ga.) launched a walk-off homerun in game one to back another sensational start from reigning SEC Pitcher of the Week Reggie McClain (Duluth, Ga.) to clinch a 3-2 win. In game two, the Tigers scored a pair of runs in the first inning and the pitching of freshman Tanner Houck (Collinsville, Ill.) and Breckin Williams (Oronogo, Mo.) held the lead in a 2-1 win in the night cap.
The Tigers have now won five consecutive games and are off to a 9-1 start, matching their best 10-game start to a season since 1993, a year in which the Tigers went 30-19 under head coach Gene McArtor. Mizzou has now won four one-run games and has three walk-off wins this season. The Tigers have also won three games this year when being tied after eight innings; they won one such game a season ago. The Tigers have yet to allow a team to score more than three runs in a game and have allowed just 15 runs in 10 games this season.
Williams earned the win in game one, pitching a shutout top of the ninth before Lester's heroics. Williams then came back and earned the save in game two, his SEC-leading fifth of the season. Houck earned the win in game two, his third of the season, after tossing 6.2 shutout innings, allowing just six hits while striking out three. McClain dazzled in game one, matching his career-high with 10 strikeouts over 7.0 innings, allowing just one earned run. His ERA is now a 0.38 on the year. He extended his shutout inning streak to 22.0 before UIC scored off of him. It is the longest by a Tiger since 2008 (42.2 by Aaron Crow).
Senior Brett Peel (St. Charles, Mo.) tallied three hits over the two games while scoring a run to lead the Tiger offense. Lester had a pair of RBIs over the two games, tallying both in the first game - the first on a bunt and the second being the walk-off homer.
In game one, Mizzou got on the board to back McClain in the bottom of the third inning. Jack Klages (St. Louis, Mo.) doubled down the line with one out and Ring tallied his RBI double on the first pitch he saw to plate Klages. Peel then legged out an infield hit to put runners on the corners with just one out. Lester then laid down a safety squeeze to score Ring, giving Mizzou a 2-0 lead through three.
UIC finally broke up McClain's shutout inning streak at 22.0 IP, getting two runs (only one earned) in the top of the sixth inning. McClain issued a walk to lead off the frame, and then a sacrifice bunt turned into an error to put two men on with no outs. Designated hitter Tyler Detmer then roped a double down the left field line to plate a run. McClain then got a pop-up to get within just one out of getting out of the jam, but a two-out single by Jeff Boehm scored an unearned run to tie the game at 2-2.
McClain then came out and got the Tigers through seven innings, matching a career-high with 10 strikeouts. Austin Tribby (Springfield, Mo.) then pitched a perfect eighth inning making way for Williams in the ninth. He worked around a walk, setting up Lester's heroics in the ninth inning as he launched his first homer of the year, a walk-off solo shot into right field. It was Mizzou's third walk-off win of the season and the third one-run win. It was also the third time this season that Mizzou has won a game when tied after eight innings. Mizzou has just one such win a season ago.
In game two, Mizzou scored a pair of runs in the first inning off of UIC starter Jake Dahlberg, doing so on an RBI groundout by Howard and an RBI single from Brett Bond (St. Louis, Mo.). On Howard's groundout, Peel scored from second base, using his legs to generate some offense.
Houck got into a bit of trouble in the top of the third after two infield hits and a catcher's interference loaded the bases with one out. But Houck induced a 1-2-3 double play to end the threat. Houck then pitched out of a jam in the sixth and Tribby got the Tigers through the seventh with a 2-0 lead.
UIC then got on the board in the eighth with a solo homer by Mickey McDonald, cutting the lead in half. It came on a 1-2 pitch with two outs and Tribby promptly got out of the inning. But Williams was dominant again in the ninth, earning his fifth save of the season to go along with a pair of wins. Saturday marked the second time that he earned a win and a save in a doubleheader this season.
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