It only took seven innings for Missouri baseball to dismantle their in-state rival on Tuesday afternoon as the Tigers crushed the St. Louis Billikens 18-4.
Missouri entered the game with an 11-2 record, coming off a successful trip to Arizona, where it beat San Francisco and Arizona State. The Tigers wanted to enter Southeastern Conference play as hot as possible, and they accomplished that goal against the Billikens. You can not get much hotter than forcing a seven-inning run-rule.
Junior pitcher Nathan Landry earned the start for Missouri but only pitched for 1.2 innings. Landry struck out three batters but gave up two runs in the second inning, so Missouri head coach Steve Bieser called upon senior pitcher Jacob Kush for relief. Kush pitched for 3.1 innings, striking-out three batters and allowing only one run and one hit. Kush earned the win for the Tigers.
Sophomore pitcher Holden Phelps, senior pitcher Drew Garrett and senior pitcher Trae Robertson combined to finish out the game, allowing only one hit and zero earned runs over the final two innings.
Missouri’s offense provided an even stronger punch. The bats produced 18 runs for the Tigers, which is their second largest total on the season, only behind the 19-run output against Southern on Feb. 23.
Ten Tigers finished the game with at least one RBI, including four RBIs from junior infielder Nander De Sedas. Sophomore infielder Jackson Beaman and graduate student infielder Fox Leum also added three RBIs apiece.
Senior infielder Josh Day started Missouri’s six-run first inning with a lead-off double off the wall. With the bases loaded, junior infielder Torin Montgomery was hit by a pitch, bringing Day home for the first run of the day.
Leum singled to bring two more home, and senior catcher Tre Morris drove home the fourth run of the frame with another single. Junior outfielder Ty Wilmsmeyer and De Sedas brought home another run apiece to cap Missouri’s six-run first inning.
The scoring continued throughout the game for the Tigers, but Beaman punctuated the win when he entered the game to pinch hit in the bottom of the sixth. He took advantage of his opportunity and launched a three-run home run into left field, extending Missouri’s lead to 17-3. The two teams would exchange runs before the game was called at 18-4.
Missouri will enter its series against No. 4 Vanderbilt with a 12-2 record. The Tigers are hungry and will have a lot to prove in their upcoming series against the high-powered Commodores. Missouri and Vanderbilt will face off in Nashville from March 18-20.
Edited by Brandon Haynes | bhaynes@themaneater.com