TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Mizzou Baseball (12-29, 5-16 SEC) fell in a 3-2 heartbreaker on Sunday at Alabama (28-15, 11-10 SEC) as the Tide scored a pair in the bottom of the eighth to spoil the Tigers' day.
For the third time in the series, Mizzou struck first as sophomore Ty Wilmsmeyer singled to open the game and came home on a two-out knock from junior Tre Morris. The Tigers added another run in the second as junior Mike Coletta singled and later scored on a groundout from Wilmsmeyer.
Freshman Zach Hise was spectacular through six innings, scattering just a pair of hits while tossing only 69 pitches. In the seventh, the rookie ran into trouble as Alabama broke a string of 11-straight batters retired and broke through in the run column. The Tide scored one without recording an out, but a popped-up bunt turned into a double play on a great play by Coletta and the Tigers escaped the inning with a narrow 2-1 lead.
With Hise exiting after seven strong innings, Alabama took advantage in the eighth to claim its first lead of the day. The Tide used a single, bunt single, error and sacrifice fly to plate a pair for a 3-2 advantage.
Mizzou drove a pair of balls to the warning track in the ninth, but both fell short as the Tigers fell 3-2 in the finale.
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HEAR FROM THE SKIPPER
Head coach Steve Bieser on late-inning loss…
"Well, just a tough way to drop a ball game there and we've got to be better than that for Zach Hise. He pitched his tail off today and he deserved a better outcome than that."
#MIZ TAKEAWAYS
- Hise's seven innings mark a career long for the freshman. His six strikeouts matched his career best set previously against Vanderbilt.
- Morris recorded an RBI for the fourth-consecutive game. He now has 13 on the season.
- Wilmsmeyer picked up his fourth RBI of the season in a 1-for-4 day.
- Montgomery finished 2-for-4 at the plate for his eighth multi-hit game of the day.
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