Missouri baseball and the No. 25 Gonzaga Bulldogs were set to play a full weekend series, but with winter weather coming to the mid-Missouri area, Wednesday’s matchup became the only game scheduled between the two teams.
The Tigers came into the game with a 9-1 start to the season, while the Bulldogs came off a weekend sweep of the No. 6 Oklahoma State Cowboys. Both teams’ early season success created a highly anticipated matchup at Taylor Stadium.
The top of the eighth inning proved to be too much for Missouri. Trailing 5-3, the Bulldogs scored seven runs to take a 10-5 lead that they would not relinquish. From there, the Tigers managed just one hit apiece from junior infielder Ty Wilmsmeyer and freshman infielder Cam Careswell, and neither brought runs in.
The dominant team through the first four innings was Missouri. In the bottom of the first, junior infielder Torin Montgomery singled into left field to give the Tigers a 1-0 lead. Gonzaga tied the game in the top of the second inning, but the Tigers’ defense prevented them from scoring any more runs in the frame.
Sophomore outfielder Ross Lovich made a strong throw to senior catcher Tre Morris, who tagged the Bulldogs’ runner out at home plate to keep the score tied. Senior infielder Josh Day singled into left field in the bottom of the second to put Missouri back up 2-1.
The Tigers added three more runs in the third inning. An RBI double from Morris increased the Tigers’ lead to 3-1, while freshman outfielder Juju Stevens and Lovich collected RBIs as well to make it 5-1.
The comfortable lead disappeared two innings later. In the top of the fifth, the Bulldogs scored a run off an infield error. Redshirt freshman Enzo Apodaca then singled up the middle to bring the score to 5-3. The error came with two outs and proved costly for the Tigers down the stretch.
“No doubt we feel like that’s a game that we let slip away,” Missouri head coach Steve Bieser said. “I think we all felt really good at 5-1, and then, you know, we had a little miscue there and allowed them to get back into the game at 5-3.”
Missouri did not generate any more runs, while Gonzaga exploded for a seven-run eighth inning.
Junior left-handed pitcher Nathan Landry started for the Tigers, but it was sophomore left-handed pitcher Ian Lohse who was given the loss. Landry gave up four hits and three runs through five innings, while Lohse gave up three runs in 0.2 innings of work.
Bieser discussed the tough loss following the game and what lessons can be taken away from it.
“Those things are going to happen, but we gotta learn and grow from this,” Bieser said. “We talked about postgame; you can’t take anything for granted, and this game just got away from us.”
The Tigers will have some time off before playing the in-state St. Louis Billikens Tuesday at 4 p.m at Taylor Stadium.
Edited by Brandon Haynes | bhaynes@themaneater.com
