Missouri Splits Opening Day Doubleheader Against Cal Poly
The start of the season-opening Missouri at Cal Poly baseball series on Friday could simply be summarized as back-to-back — until it wasn't.
Back-to-back line outs, back-to-back extra-base hits, back-to-back singles, which eventually added up to a 3-2 victory for the home team in the first game of a doubleheader. However, the Tigers were able to come back and win the nightcap by a similar score, 3-1.
In the first game, the day started out pretty bleak for the Tigers with a line out, Trevor Austin being hit by a pitch and then getting caught stealing and then another line out to end the inning.
But turnabout was fair play in the bottom half of the first inning. Missouri quickly erased an unlucky infield hit from the Mustangs with Jedier Hernandez flashing the glove early in the season and throwing out the would-be base stealer. Pitcher Jakob Wright quickly pitched through the last two Tigers in the innings limiting them to fly outs.
After back-to-back strikeouts, Missouri turned it around on Cal Poly with back-to-back base hits by freshmen left fielder Tucker Moore and designated hitter Thomas Curry. An unfortunate ground out from center fielder Jeric Curtis ended the Missouri threat in the second, however.
The bottom of the second was not how Missouri hoped to start the season. Cal Poly earned the early advantage with a one-out triple from Tate Shimao and a double to left field from Dylan Kordic that landed between Missouri third basemen Danny Corona and shortstop Drew Culbertson to drive him home. Missouri was able to get out of the inning and strand two runners on base.
Missouri put itself on the board by once again getting back-to-back singles, this time by Culbertson and right fielder Jackson Beaman. But this time they had the advantage of a passed ball advancing the runners and a ground out by Austin to send one home. After taking the field for the home half of the third inning, the Tigers quickly sent the Mustangs right back into the dugout. It just took back-to-back fly outs and a line out. The score was tied at 1-1 after the third inning.
Today was not Jackson Lovich's day. After the failed attempt to steal second in the first inning, he fell victim to a trick play in the fourth that left him stuck on the way to second and resulted in him getting doubled off after a Tucker Moore hit to right field.
Cal Poly took advantage of some sloppy work by Missouri to take the lead in the fourth. A walk, a bad throw, a wild pitch, and a sacrifice fly by Mustangs' Kordic broke the tie. The Tigers were able to put a stop to the bleeding by stranding Alejandro Garza after his two-out double off the back wall.
The fifth inning looked a lot like the second inning with the back-to-back strikeouts. But unlike the second, Missouri wasn't able to do anything else in their half of the inning. Missouri switched to the southpaw Nic Smith after Mayer gave up a lead-off walk. This didn't work out well for the Tigers after a wild pitch by Smith advanced the runner and a single to left field by Mustangs' third basemen Zach Daudet brought the walk came around to score and give Cal Poly an insurance run over the Tigers.
A miscommunication between Garza and right fielder Casey Murray left three players watching a the ball hit the ground in what should have been an easy play. Lovich reached second in all the commotion. The Tigers couldn't cash in and left their fifth man on base in the game.
Tigers veteran pitcher Ian Lohse entered in relief for the bottom of the sixth, but he wasn't able to easily shut down Cal Poly's offense. He gave up back-to-back singles to Shimao and pinch-hitter Evan Cloyd. Lohse put up a K to end the inning and leave the two Mustangs on base.
Missouri wasn't able to put another run on the board in the inning, despite Wright being taken out of the game for Tanner Sagouspe. Two quick outs and pick-off after a walk ended the seventh for the Tigers. Lohse was able to induce three fly outs for his second scoreless inning of the game.
Missouri cut the lead to one after a walk by Beaman, a single from Corona, and a Hernandez grounder to shortstop allowed Beaman to touch the plate. The Tigers left Corona in scoring position after Lovich struck out swinging. Lohse penciled in his third scoreless frame of the game to help out the Tigers in the eighth. The game would come down to the final three out for Missouri to try to mount a comeback.
Missouri opened the ninth with a lead-off double down the left field from Moore. Sagouspe recorded his third strikeout of the game to bring the Tigers' to their last out, but they weren't able to pull through.
Though Missouri held Cal Poly to seven hits, it fell victim to timely extra-base hits. Wright limited the Tigers' offense to just eight hits and notched five strikeouts in 99 pitches through 6.2 innings in his opening day trip to the mound.
The game was locked into a pitchers dual for half of the game. But, true-freshman Thomas Curry played the villain in Cal Poly's story.
The game had a very chaotic start for the Tigers. Mustangs' pitcher Steven Brooks had Missouri's number for most of the game, fanning eight in the first five innings. The Tigers then took the field in the bottom of the first to continue the poor defensive start on the year. A hit-by-pitch put lead-off hitter Jake Steels on first, but it was the errant throw on an attempt to catch Steels stealing from catcher Jedier Hernandez that derailed the inning even further. Steels made it all the way to third, but Missouri's Carter Rustad induced a fly out to left field to end the inning.
The second inning went a lot like the first for Missouri with three quick outs, but the Tigers' were able to put up a performance that matched the Mustangs this time.
Thomas Curry marked the first hit of the game — and only hit until his next one in the fifth — in the top of third with a double to the left field wall and Jeric Curtis put up a sacrifice bunt to advance Curry. One out later, the lineup card turned over to put Trevor Austin at the plate, but he couldn't come through and struck out swinging.
Missouri got their second man of the game on base with Brooks giving up a walk to Jackson Lovich. Curry, as mentioned, continued to be the only player to register a hit in the game, but this time he sent the ball over the center field wall to give the Tigers a 2-0 lead in the top of the fifth.
The Mustangs earned their first hit of the game in the fifth inning with single by designated hitter Evan Cloyd, only for him to get out shortly later in a fielder choice that resulted in Cloyd and right fielder Liam MacDonald trading places. But Rustad was able to continue to hold them to no runs.
Corona was the only other Tiger to record a hit with a single into right center in the top of the sixth. Unfortunately for Missouri, the hit was surrounded by outs.
Missouri decided to make a pitching change in the sixth. To continue Missouri's shut out was lefty Ryan Magdic. The southpaw came out with immediate fire to retire the side and record a strikeout.
Madgic struggled at the beginning of the seventh, however. He sent five straight balls over the plate. He seemed like he managed to figure it out with a strikeout swinging of shortstop Aaron Casillas, but then allowed a second walk in the inning. The struggle resulted in two on from walks, one out and a visit on the mound from pitching coach Tim Jamieson.
It didn't get better after that. A wild pitch pushed the runners to second and third, then all it took to break the shut out was an Alejandro Garza sacrifice fly to right field. Missouri still held the lead 2-1.
The Tigers then had to go against left hander Jacob Torres, it still didn't get better for then Tigers after that. Torres came out of the bullpen to put up a quick three-out performance. Missouri also went to the bullpen for the final innings, relying on graduate pitcher Jacob Peaden to close the game and hold onto the lead.
Missouri put up an around the horn double play and a strikeout to save the lead and send them to the ninth.
Hernandez and Lovich paired up to extend the lead with a pair of doubles. Hernandez sent a line drive over the right foul line and Lovich had a high double that bounced off the left field wall.
Peaden was able to close the door on the Mustangs, but not easily. Ryan Stafford reached on a fielding error by Culbertson and Cloyd was hit by a pitch to put two on with two outs.
But Missouri was able to turn it around on the pitching end after the hit-by-pitch to start the game. Rustad notched six strikeouts with no hits through five innings, but managed to plunk Steels twice to put him on base. Despite Magdic's struggle, he struck out three batters in two innings and didn't give up a hit.
Brooks put up a equally impressive pitching performance, only blemished by the two-run homer. Through seven innings, Brooks sent 12 batters back to the dugout through Ks. He limited the Tigers to just three hits and only walked two. Overall, the Tigers struck out 15 times in the game and were only able to get five hits against Cal Poly's strong pitching staff.
Cal Poly and Missouri put up a lot of similar numbers in both matchups, but the Mustangs played a much cleaner game with less errors and wild pitches. Missouri will look to gain a series lead in their next game. Missouri is back in action against the Cal Poly Mustangs at 11 a.m. CT on Saturday, Feb. 16 and will look to complete all nine innings before the rain hits in San Luis Obispo.
