COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou baseball (18-13, 2-7) jumped out to an early lead and never looked back on its way to a 9-6 victory over SIUE (4-21) on Tuesday (April 5). The team scored in each of the first four innings for the first time this season to build a 9-0 lead after four. Mizzou held on with solid defensive play to put away the Cougars.

Senior 1B Zach Lavy (Auxvasse, Mo) drove in three of the first seven runs with a triple in the first inning and a sacrifice fly in the third, giving him a team leading 29 RBI this year. Lavy now has a team-leading eight games with multiple RBI.

Freshman RHP Grant Macciocchi (West Chester Township, Oh) earned the win in his first career start and in his first career appearance on the mound for Mizzou. He pitched two innings allowing no runs, no hits and only one base runner. Macciocchi needed only 14 pitches, 11 strikes, to get through two innings.

Sophomore third baseman Shane Benes (Town & Country, Mo) had an excellent game defensively, collecting a career-high five assists without committing an error. Benes made one of those assist ranging over to his left and throwing a strike to first to nab SIUE’s Brock Irwin in the fifth inning.

The Mizzou infield turned three double plays tonight for the second time this season. It was the third time this year that the team has turned three or more double plays in a single game. Mizzou turned a season high five against St. Louis University March 29 at Kauffman Stadium.

Senior LHP Austin Tribby (Springfield, Mo) earned his second save of the season tonight, getting the final out on a three-pitch strikeout.

Mizzou welcomes Auburn of a three-game series beginning Thursday (April 7) at 6:30 p.m.

— Mizzou Athletics —