@MizzouBaseball Drops 8-6 Series Opener Friday to Rhode Island

Friday, February 22

Fort Myers, Fla.

6 PM

University of Missouri

2-4

Rhode Island

2-2

Rhode Island

Mizzou

@MizzouBaseball Drops 8-6 Series Opener Friday to Rhode Island

2/22/2019 11:45:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

Tigers once again fall victim to late big inning by opposition

FORT MYERS, Fla. – Mizzou Baseball (2-4) saw a late lead evaporate for the second consecutive evening Friday at City of Palms Park, as it fell 8-6 to Rhode Island in the series opener. The Tigers led 5-2 heading into the sixth inning, but the Rams began chipping away with single runs in back to back frames.

Similar to Thursday night against Northeastern, a four-run eighth inning by the opposition proved too much to recover from for the Tigers. Mizzou did load the bases with one out in its final at bat Friday, but a twin killing by Rhode Island's defense halted the attempted comeback.

#ShowMe Top Performers vs. Rhode Island

TJ Sikkema: 4.0 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 8 K
Luke Mann: 1-for-1, R, HR, RBI
Mark Vierling: 2-for-3, RBI
Chad McDaniel: 2-for-4, R, 2 SB

Hear From Head Coach Steve Bieser

On tonight's ballgame against the Rams…

"It was a really difficult game tonight and hard to digest right now. Our guys are feeling pretty down and feeling like they just can't do anything right. We got to find a way and that was the message after this game. We have to change things up, dig deep and find a way to make something different happen."

#MIZ Takeaways

Friday was the first-ever meeting between Mizzou and Rhode Island. The Rams now lead the all-time series, 1-0.
Freshman Cameron Swanger earned his first career start Friday. The first-year Tiger responded well, going 1-for-3 with an RBI.
Mann delivered his first career home run at Mizzou in the eighth inning, launching a pinch hit solo shot to right-center.
Sophomore Clayton Peterson, junior Chris Cornelius, McDaniel and Vierling each tallied multi-hit efforts at the plate. Cornelius is now tied with junior Kameron Misner with three multi-hit games in the early 2019 campaign.
McDaniel has surely enjoyed his time at the plate in Fort Myers thus far, producing back to back two-hit nights.

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