PHOENIX – Sophomore Ross Lovich went 4-for-4 with a pair of RBI to lead Missouri baseball to a 4-1 win over San Francisco on Saturday afternoon at Phoenix Municipal Stadium.
Mizzou (10-2) started slow as Lovich had the only two hits for the Tigers through six innings. The bats finally awoke in the seventh to score four runs over the final three innings for the Tigers' fourth come-from-behind win of the season. Juniors Torin Montgomery and Ty Wilmsmeyer each finished 2-for-4 with an RBI to add to the winning effort.
Saturday was a pitchers' duel with San Francisco (10-6) getting six scoreless frames from Jesse Barron. Sophomore Austin Troesser was equal to the task until the fifth inning when a balk derailed the right-hander and led to a 1-0 Dons lead after an RBI single.
Freshman Tony Neubeck (2-1) threw 2.2 innings and struck out five to earn the win in relief. Senior Austin Cheeley tossed a scoreless ninth with two punchouts to earn his fourth save of the year.
IMPACT INNING
With the bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the sixth, Neubeck entered the game and recorded back-to-back strikeouts to end the USF threat. The Tiger bats rewarded the rookie with three runs on four hits in the seventh.
Junior Luke Mann singled to open the inning and moved to third on a balk and wild pitch. Montgomery singled to tie the game a batter later. Wilmsmeyer legged out an infield single with two away in the frame to score Montgomery before Lovich roped an RBI double over the first base bag to make it 3-1 Mizzou.
TOP TIGERS
Ross Lovich: 4-for-4, 2B, 2 RBI
Tony Neubeck: 2.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 5 K, 1 BB
Torin Montgomery: 2-for-4, RBI, R
Ty Wilmsmeyer: 2-for-4, RBI, R
IN THE NOTES
- The Tigers recorded their fourth come-from-behind win of the season. It was the third time the black & gold earned the win when trailing after six innings.
- The Mizzou bullpen worked 5.2 innings without allowing a run. It marks the sixth time this season the Tiger relievers have not surrendered a run in the game.
- Mizzou racked up 12 strikeouts, the fifth time this season the pitchers have tallied double digits.
- Lovich's four hits were a career high for the sophomore.
- While not factoring in the decision, Troesser allowed just one run on three hits in 4.1 IP. He lowered his ERA to 2.38 on the season.
FROM THE SKIP
Coach Bieser on the late win and strong pitching…
"Yeah, very well-played game on both sides. Obviously, it was a heck of a pitchers' duel early and both teams had to really scrap and fight for runs. The pitchers on both sides really stepped it up, made it difficult."
UP NEXT
Mizzou finishes its abbreviated weekend in the desert with a 4 p.m. AZT (6 p.m. CT) start against Arizona State on Sunday.
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