April 20, 2003
Box Score
WACO, Texas - Baylor's offense rallied from a 6-0 early defecit to get within one run after eight innings, but 23rd-ranked Missouri scored five in the ninth to fend off the No. 16 Bears and take the series with a 12-8 win Sunday at Baylor Ballpark.
Junior Zane Carlson (1-4), making his first collegiate start for Baylor (27-16, 9-9 Big 12), held Missouri (27-12, 11-6 Big 12) to just one earned run in five innings, but the Tigers took advantage of an error by shortstop Trey Webb to score two unearned runs in the fifth for a 3-0 lead.
Missouri added on three more runs in the sixth off reliever Trey Taylor. Jeremy Hernandez's two-run double, one of four hits on the day for the Tigers' second baseman, was the key hit in the inning. Ryan LaMotta took over for Taylor and got two pop-ups to shortstop to end the frame.
Michael Griffin doubled in two runs in the bottom of the sixth to cut the lead to 6-2. That score held til the eighth, when two Baylor errors led to an unearned run for the Tigers.
The Bears batted around in the eighth, scoring four times off Mizzou starter Derek Roper (4-1). Josh Ford doubled in two runs to cut the lead to 7-4 before Roper could record an out in the frame. With the bases loaded later in the inning, Kyle Reynolds was denied a grand slam by a strong wind blowing straight in at 15 miles per hour. Reynolds' deep fly to right brought home Ford from third, and a pinch-hit single by Zach Dillon scored Ross Bennett to bring Baylor within one.
LaMotta faltered in the ninth, and Missouri took advantage, scoring five times to once again break open the game. The Tigers put together three singles, three walks and two hit batsmen to improve their lead to 12-6.
Baylor scored twice in the ninth off reliever Travis Wendte, but the Mizzou closer got Mark Saccomanno to ground out to third to end the game for his eighth save of the year.
David Murphy, Ford, Ross Bennett and Griffin combined to go 10-for-18 on the day in the middle of the Bears' lineup, but as has been the case of late, the impressive offensive showing was not enough to put Baylor in the winner's circle. The Bears are averaging over 10 runs a game for the month of April, but have only a 5-7 record to show for it.
Saccomanno saw his 13-game hitting streak go by the boards with an 0-for-5 day. The streak was a career-best for the fifth-year senior, and was the longest on the team this season. Murphy now holds the longest active hitting streak on the club, having hit in 11 straight games.
Baylor hosts TCU Tuesday at 6 p.m. at Baylor Ballpark.
