Braggin’ Rights belong to the Fighting Illini after they defeated Mizzou baseball 5-3 in a hard-fought ball game Tuesday. The long ball was dominant, with seven of the eight runs scored between the two teams resulting from home runs.
Junior Andy Toelken got off to a shaky start for the Tigers, surrendering a two-run home run in the first inning. The righty was able to recover, however, working four scoreless innings before being replaced by junior Nolan Gromacki in the sixth inning. Toelken worked 5 ⅔ innings with a career-high six strikeouts while surrendering three walks and two earned runs.
Down early, the Tigers had to claw their way back to even the game. Freshman Kameron Misner smacked a solo home run in the bottom of the third inning to trim Illinois’ lead to one run. Mizzou senior Kirby McGuire then homered in the bottom of the fifth inning to tie it up.
With the game tied, Illinois showed its offensive prowess with two solo home runs from Jack Yalowitz and Michael Massey, giving the Fighting Illini the lead heading into the eighth. In that inning, Tigers junior Trey Harris stepped up to the plate and smashed another solo home run to cut the lead to one run again. Yalowitz scored in the top of the ninth off of a line drive single by Massey to increase Illinois’ lead to two runs, which proved too much for the Tigers to overcome.
Toelken’s replacement, Gromacki, ended up taking the loss. The reliever allowed two solo home runs, which were his first long balls allowed this season. He was relieved by sophomore Brian Sharp, who came in with two outs left in the eighth inning. Gromacki’s stat line for the night was 1 ⅓ innings worked while allowing two earned runs, two walks and two strikeouts.
Sharp’s appearance on the mound led to a defensive shift with junior Nelson Mompierre taking over at first base. Sharp was able to close out the eighth inning and get the first two outs of the ninth inning before being replaced by sophomore Ty Shoaff. Shoaff then gave up two hits and intentionally walked Pat McInerney.
The loss to Illinois brings the Tigers’ losing streak to six games. They must find a way to turn things around as they travel to Athens, Georgia, for a tough SEC road series against Georgia.
_Edited by Eli Lederman | elederman@themaneater.com_
