No. 23 Mizzou Drops Series Opener at Tennessee, 5-2

Thursday, April 9

Knoxville, Tenn.

6:00 PM

University of Missouri

22-12, 8-5

Tennessee

15-14, 5-8

Mizzou

Tennessee

4/9/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - No. 23 Mizzou dropped its series opener to Tennessee, 5-2, on Thursday night (April 9) at Lindsey Nelson Stadium. Reigning SEC Player of the Week Christian Stewart hit a two-run homer off of Reggie McClain (Duluth, Ga.) in the bottom of the sixth inning, which proved to be the difference. The loss drops the Tigers to 22-12 and 8-5 in SEC play (7-3 against SEC East teams).

Senior Jake Ivory (St. Charles, Mo.) hit his first career home run in the top of the seventh inning to cut the lead in half, but Tennessee added a run in the eighth inning and the Tiger offense couldn't get anything else going. Senior Brett Peel (St. Charles, Mo.) saw his 30-game streak of reaching base safely come to an end, falling just two shy of the school record. Josh Lester (Columbus, Ga.) was the only Tiger with multiple hits on Thursday, finishing the night with two.

It was a pitcher's duel as McClain and Cox did a great job, each allowing just three hits through four innings. Mizzou's defense backed up McClain with a pair of double-plays in the second and third innings, the latter of which injured Tiger catcher Brett Bond (St. Louis, Mo.) in a collision at home plate. He took an at-bat in the fourth before being lifted in favor of Jack Klages (St. Louis, Mo.) who took over the catching duties.

McClain then ran into trouble in the fifth inning, again walking the leadoff batter. Nick Senzel then delivered a two-out single into right field to plate a pair of runs, staking the Vols to a 2-0 lead. McClain then allowed a two-run homer to reigning SEC Player of the Week Stewart in the sixth as the Tigers fell behind, 4-0.

Cox went back out in the top of the seventh and retired Trey Harris (Powder Springs, Ga.) on strikes. He looked to be in complete control until Zach Lavy (Auxvasses, Mo.) drew a one-out walk. That set up Ivory's first career homer as he roped a 0-2 pitch over the wall in left to cut the lead in half. That chased Cox from the game in favor of Peter Lenstrom who got the next two outs to send the game to the bottom of the seventh, but the Tigers had new life.

However, Tennessee scratched across an insurance run in the eighth and Andrew Lee earned his seventh save of the season, tossing a 1-2-3 ninth inning.

Game two of the series will be tomorrow at 6:30 p.m. on SEC Network with Mike Morgan and Chris Burke on the call. For all the latest on Mizzou baseball, stay tuned to MUTigers.com and follow the team on twitter @MizzouBaseball.