Judging by the first three innings, it looked like the 5-4 win the Missouri baseball team (24-22, 8-12 Big 12 Conference) claimed against Texas on Saturday afternoon at Taylor Stadium was going to devolve into a mid-1990s, Major League Baseball steroid era-style slugfest.

The No. 25 Longhorns jumped on top when third baseman Erich Weiss blasted a two-run homer to right field in the top of the first. Missouri responded immediately to tie, though, as junior first baseman Andreas Plackis doubled to left-center to score junior shortstop Eric Garcia and sophomore second baseman Dillon Everett.

The top of the second and bottom of the fourth were the only times no runs were scored. The two teams entered the bottom of fifth inning knotted at four runs apiece.

From there, though, the game rapidly morphed into a pitching duel between bullpens, as Missouri freshman Ryan Yuengel and Texas’ Nathan Thornhill duked it out, holding both offenses at bay and turning the game into a grinder.

“Hats off to our pitchers. They kept us in that ballgame,” junior left fielder Scott Sommerfeld said. “I think that was the key. We just kept battling and we didn’t give up, and it proved itself in the eighth inning.”

Coach Tim Jamieson said he didn’t plan to use Yuengel as much as he did, hoping his starter, senior Jeff Emens, would go longer. Still, he said he was impressed with the freshman.

“He’s starting to grow up,” Jamieson said. “(He’s) starting to pitch more like a sophomore.”

Yuengel continued the series with the momentum he picked up in his perfect ninth inning of Friday’s loss. He entered in the fourth inning Saturday and held off the Longhorn charge for three scoreless frames, allowing two hits and striking out two while only throwing 31 pitches.

After four scoreless half-innings, the Tigers broke through and took the lead in the bottom of the eighth.

With two outs in the inning, Garcia cranked a line drive past the outstretched glove of Texas center fielder Tim Maitland, recording a double and scoring Sommerfeld for the go-ahead run.

Texas had brought lefty Hoby Milner in to get a favorable matchup with junior center fielder Brannon Champagne and Garcia, both of whom hit left-handed. Garcia, who has shown proficiency for has hitting off southpaws all season, made the Longhorns pay.

“If they knew any better, they probably would have thrown out a righty,” he said.

Senior Dusty Ross shut the door on the Longhorns and gave Missouri the win, snapping the team’s five-game losing streak.

“(The win) is big on a lot of levels,” Jamieson said. “The team has set a goal to win the last three series of the year: today, KU and Memphis, and it gives you a chance to fulfill that goal…it gives you a chance to win the series, as opposed to coming out tomorrow trying to salvage a win.”

The Tigers will work toward that goal beginning 1 p.m. Sunday as they finish with Texas in the rubber game.