MONROE, La. – University of Missouri baseball scored three runs in the top of the seventh to take a late lead and freshman pitcher Tony Neubeck responded with an immaculate bottom half to help the Tigers earn a 4-3 win over Louisiana-Monroe on Friday night at Warhawk Field.
Neubeck (1-1) earned his first with 2.2 scoreless innings featuring seven strikeouts and no hits. His immaculate inning saw the left-hander whiff three Warhawks (1-3) on nine pitches – not one even made contact. After Neubeck capitalized on the three runs, senior Austin Cheeley locked down the ninth in 1-2-3 fashion for his first save as a Tiger.
At the plate, senior Tre Morris was the catalyst for Mizzou (5-1) with a 3-for-5 day and two RBI. Fellow senior Josh Day went 2-for-4 from the leadoff spot and scored a pair of runs in the win.
IMPACT INNING
Trailing 3-1 entering the seventh, Mizzou strung together a two-out rally to score three times and take the lead. Day ignited the rally with a two-out, two-strike single to right. After two walks loaded the bases, Morris scored one with an infield single up the middle. On the play, Trevor Austin took a big turn around third and the Warhawks threw the ball away allowing two more runs to score. The 4-3 lead would prove all the Tigers needed as Neubeck provided the shutdown immaculate frame in the bottom half to send the Tigers sailing to the win.
TOP TIGERS
Spencer Miles: 5.1 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 11 K, 1 BB
Tony Neubeck: 2.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 7 K, 3 BB
Tre Morris: 3-for-5, 2B, 2 RBI
Austin Cheeley: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 K, 0 BB, S (1)
IN THE NOTES
- Miles' 11 strikeouts were a career high for the junior.
- Two days after tying the school record with 20 strikeouts at Southern, Mizzou pitching racked up 19 K's on Friday night. It would have been the most punchouts by the Tigers since 1963 prior to Wednesday's performance.
- Day's two-hit performance extended his hitting streak to 13 games dating back to last season.
- The Tigers are off to a 5-1 start for the first time since 2017 and just the third time since 2008.
- Mizzou's bullpen did not allow a hit in 3.1 innings of work while striking out eight.
- Friday night's win was the Tigers' second of the season when trailing after six innings. Last season, the Tigers had just one such victory.
FROM THE SKIP
Coach Bieser on the Tigers' pitching Friday night…
"Yeah, I mean, just kind of how we drew it up. We were hoping that all three would throw well and those were the guys that we knew were going to go out and battle for us tonight. They were ready. They did an outstanding job and our bench was supporting [them]. I mean getting Neubeck on a roll there, I could see he was just a little nervous there early and then he kind of settled in and was lights out."
UP NEXT
The Tigers and Warhawks continue the series on Saturday afternoon. First pitch in game two is set for 3 p.m.
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