Mizzou Baseball Opens 2015 with Walk-Off Win Over Iona

Friday, February 13

Cary, N.C.

3:00 PM

University of Missouri

1-0

Iona

0-1

IONA

Mizzou

Mizzou Baseball Opens 2015 with Walk-Off Win Over Iona

2/13/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

CARY, N.C. - Mizzou baseball rallied from down, 3-0, to a 4-3 walk-off win over Iona in the team's season opener at the USA Baseball Complex on Friday (Feb. 13). Junior infielder Josh Lester (Columbus, Ga.) drew a bases-loaded, one-out walk in the bottom of the ninth to seal the win. Mizzou is now 13-7-1 in season-openers under head coach Tim Jamieson and 75-38-2 all-time in openers. The Tigers scored two in the seventh, one in the eighth and one in the ninth to complete the comeback.

Junior righty Breckin Williams (Oronogo, Mo.) earned his first win of the season after pitching a lights-out top of the ninth, the closer's third career win. Junior Peter Fairbanks (St. Louis, Mo.) pitched six innings in the win, allowing just two runs while striking out a career-high nine batters in the win. Senior infielder Brett Peel (St. Charles, Mo.) tallied three hits, a walk, a stolen base and scored a run in the game to lead the Tiger offense.

Fairbanks was in control early, striking out four of the first five batters he faced, but an infield hit and a steal led to a two-out RBI for Iona, giving the Gaels a 1-0 lead through 1.5 innings. Iona added another run on a sacrifice fly in the third before settling down for a 1-2-3 fourth, but the Gaels took a 2-0 lead through four innings.

With seven strikeouts through four, Fairbanks had already reset his career-high in strikeouts and the only runs he had allowed came on a passed ball and a sacrifice fly. In the fifth, the junior worked around a two-out error to move the game to the bottom half of the fifth with the Tigers down, 2-0.

Mizzou nearly tallied a run in the bottom of the fifth after a two-out walk by Jack Klages (St. Louis, Mo.) and a double down the left field line by Peel, putting runners on second and third, but Jake Ring (Ingleside, Ill.) bounced out to the pitcher to end the jam.

Fairbanks then went over the 100-pitch mark in inning No. 6 and retired the side in order in the sixth. Iona added another run to go on top, 3-0, but the Tigers struck for a pair of runs in the bottom of the seventh. Jake Ivory (St. Charles, Mo.) scored on a ground-out by Klages for the first run and Ring knocked in the second with an RBI single of his own.

The Tigers then added another run to tie the game in the bottom of the eighth after some good pitching from Austin Tribby (Springfield, Mo.) in the top half of the inning. Lester drew a walk to open the eighth and then moved to third on a two-base wild pitch. Zach Lavy (Auxvasse, Mo.) then ripped a single to tie the game at 3-3. Mizzou put runners on second and third with one out, but back-to-back strikeouts ended the frame.

The Tigers then struck in the ninth. Klages drew a walk to lead off the inning and freshman Brett Bond (St. Louis, Mo.) made his collegiate debut as a pinch runner. Peel then blooped his third hit of the day to put two men on for Ring, who walked to load the bases. Then Lester came up with a chance to win the game. He fell behind 0-2 before working a full-count. He then fouled off four pitches and on the 10th pitch of the AB, he drew a walk to drive in the winning run.

Mizzou will play game two of the doubleheader at 2:05 p.m. (CT) in Cary. For all the latest on Mizzou baseball, stay tuned to MUTigers.com and follow the team on twitter @MizzouBaseball.