Mizzou Baseball Completes Four-Game Sweep of Iona

Saturday, February 14

Cary, N.C.

4:00 PM

University of Missouri

4-0

Iona

0-4

IONA

Mizzou

2/14/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

CARY, N.C. - Mizzou baseball is 4-0 for the first time since 2004 after completing its first four-game series sweep since 2008 as it defeated Iona, 14-2, in game two of a doubleheader Saturday afternoon (Feb. 14) at the USA Baseball Complex. The Tigers pounded out 15 hits and scored 14 runs, both of which are season-highs. Sophomore shortstop Ryan Howard (St. Charles, Mo.) led the way in a five-run fifth inning, notching his first homer of the season. In all, the Tigers had five extra-base hits in the win.

"The thing we are most pleased with is that we kept our focus through two long days and I thought we got better as we went along," head coach Tim Jamieson said on his postgame radio interview. "You have to be focused to be able to do what we did today offensively, defensively and on the mound."

Mizzou's 14 runs are the most by a Tiger team in a single game since Feb. 21 of last season against Radford when they tallied 15. That was a span of 53 games. The game was called in the seventh due to the run rule, the Tigers' first run-rule win since a 12-2 win over Kansas in the 2012 Big 12 Tournament. Junior Alec Rash (Adel, Iowa) earned the win after going 4.1 innings, allowing just one earned run while striking out five.

The Tigers batters were led by Howard, Josh Lester (Columbus, Ga.) and Zach Lavy (Auxvasse, Mo.). Howard blasted a homer and a double with three RBI while Lester added three hits and four RBI while scoring two runs. Lavy had a career-high four hits, scoring a pair of runs while driving in another. Lavy had three hits in game one of Saturday's doubleheader, giving him seven hits on the day.

Mizzou manufactured a run in the first inning after Jake Ring (Ingleside, Ill.) led the game off with a single and promptly stole second base. And after driving in the game's first run in the game one of Saturday's doubleheader, Lester did it again in game two, ripping an RBI single to score Ring. Mizzou then loaded the bases and freshman Brett Bond (St. Louis, Mo.) tallied and RBI single to give Mizzou a 2-0 lead after one.

Rash then pitched out of a bases-loaded jam in the top of the second, tallying a full-count strikeout the strand the bags loaded. Mizzou then responded in its half of the second as sophomore catcher Jack Klages (St. Louis, Mo.) led off the frame with a double. Ring followed with a triple to bring Klages in and Ring then scored on a wild pitch to give Mizzou a 4-0 lead.

After adding two more runs and an Iona run, Mizzou broke the game open in the bottom of the fifth, tallying five runs in the frame, highlighted by Howard's two-run homer over the left field wall. That gave Mizzou an 11-1 lead and the Tigers tacked on three more in the sixth to take a 14-2 lead.

Jace James (Oklahoma City, Okla.) and Lake Dabney (Driftwood, Texas) pitched the final two innings. James let one run score while Dabeny tossed a shutout seventh to close the game.

Mizzou will be back in action next weekend in Corpus Christi, Texas, in a four-game tournament in which it will play Sam Houston, Corpus Christi twice and Purdue. For all the latest on Mizzou baseball, stay tuned to MUTigers.com and follow the team on twitter @MizzouBaseball.