Pitching was the story of Mizzou’s season opening 7-0 win over Seton Hall.
Tanner Houck’s performance in game one of Saturday’s doubleheader certainly wouldn’t qualify as a “gem,” but it resulted in a similar outcome. Despite allowing runners to get into scoring position in all of his six innings of work, Houck dealt with the pressure and managed to escape most of the self-induced jams he faced. The right-handed sophomore collected his first win of the season, allowing just one run and fanning nine. The Tigers took game one by a score of 4-1 to improve to 2-0 on the young season.
Houck, regarded as one of the top pitchers in college baseball this year, struggled with his command early, walking two batters and hitting another in just the first two innings. However, with a hat tip to his defense, Houck settled in and worked six strong, limiting the damage.
Senior pitcher Austin Tribby worked out of two jams of his own in the seventh and eighth innings before redshirt sophomore pitcher Cole Bartlett finished it off in the ninth for the save.
The Tigers’ offensive attack was headlined by sophomore third baseman Shane Benes (1-for-2, HR, BB, 3 RBI), who has hit the cover off the ball in the opening two games of the season. Benes hit a sacrifice fly in the first inning to give the Tigers an early lead and later smacked a two-run shot to left to give Mizzou a four-run advantage.
The Tigers had just four hits in the game, but made up for it with their aggressiveness on the basepaths. Mizzou stole eight bases in the game and was able to put pressure on Seton Hall starter Zach Schellenger all game as a result. Junior center fielder Jake Ring alone stole three bags.
Seton Hall did not go quietly, however. The Pirates out-hit the Tigers 11-4 and brought the tying run to the plate in each of the final two innings. In the ninth, Seton Hall put runners on second and third with two outs before Bartlett got senior outfielder Zack Weigel to pop out to end the game. It was the first save of Bartlett’s career.
In the nightcap, freshman southpaw Michael Plassmeyer struggled in his first start. He balked home a run in the first and surrendered a solo shot to junior second baseman Mike Caputo the following inning.
After firing a scoreless third, Plassmeyer found himself in more trouble. The Pirates tacked on two more runs in the fourth on a sacrifice fly and an infield single. Then, in the fifth, redshirt-freshman reliever Liam Carter relieved Plassmeyer with runners on the corners and nobody and worked a little damage control, limiting Seton Hall to just one run and keeping the Tigers within reach at 5-2. Junior shortstop Ryan Howard delivered his first home run of the season, a two-run shot to left, in the third inning to get Mizzou on the board.
However, Howard’s blast would be the only hit the Tigers mustered from the third through seventh innings. Ring’s single up the middle to lead off the eighth ended the hitless stretch for the Tigers. Pirates’ starter Cullen Dana kept Mizzou off balance all game, aside from the lone blemish to Howard.
Carter, freshman southpaw Ty Shoaff and right-handers Nolan Gromacki, Bryce Montes de Oca all appeared out of the pen in the game and kept the Pirates at bay, allowing the Tigers to creep back in. Two runs crossed the plate in the eighth for Mizzou, courtesy of an error and an RBI groundout by senior first baseman Zach Lavy. Sophomore outfielder Trey Harris represented the tying run on second, but was stranded there when pinch-hitter Alex Del Rio was caught looking to end the inning.
However, Seton Hall was able to pull away, putting up a three-spot in the ninth to bump the lead up to 8-4. Mizzou threatened one final time in its last at-bats, but could not put a late rally together.
Following the twin bill split, Mizzou will go for the series win tomorrow at noon. The game can be heard on KTGR 1580 AM/100.5 FM.
