COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Baseball downed Indiana State, 8-7, Tuesday night at Taylor Stadium to cap a perfect midweek schedule at 12-0 on the year. It is the first time since the turn of the century that Mizzou has gone undefeated in midweek games. Mizzou improves to 32-21 on the year while Indiana State, an RPI top-100 team, falls to 26-22 on the year.
TURNING POINT
Mizzou hit into a double play in each of the first three innings and Indiana State grabbed a 1-0 lead after 3.0 innings. That all changed in the bottom of the fourth inning. Leading off the fourth, senior RF Trey Harris thought he walked on a 3-1 pitch, but instead the pitch was called a strike and he returned to the batter’s box. Two pitches later, he hit a game-tying solo homer, his 10th of the season. That sparked a three-run Mizzou fourth that gave Mizzou the lead.
Indiana State loaded the bases with one out in the sixth inning and scored on an RBI single to cut the lead to 4-2. Mizzou reliever Cameron Dulle then came into the game and induced a 5-3 double play to help Mizzou escape the jam. Mizzou then scored two in the sixth and one in the seventh and it needed every one as Indiana State plated five runs in the top of the eighth to tie the game.
It stayed that way until Brian Sharp trotted home on an eighth-inning wild pitch. Reliever Jordan Gubelman then pitched a perfect ninth to earn his first Division I save.
TOP TIGERS
- Junior P/DH Brian Sharp extended his on-base streak to 13 games with his eighth double of the season. He tallied his 17th multi-hit game of the season Tuesday, most on the team and scored the winning run on a wild pitch. Sharp also started the game on the mound and went 4.0 innings, allowing one run on five hits with a strikeout.
- Senior 2B Matt Berler turned in his seventh multi-hit game of the season Tuesday. It was his first three-hit game of the year.
- Senior RF Trey Harris hit his 10th homer of the year in the fourth inning. He is the first Mizzou player with back-to-back seasons of 10+ homers since Jacob Priday in 2007-2008. He added a double in the seventh inning.
- Junior C Isaiah Cullum tallied an RBI single in the fourth inning.
- Senior RHP Andy Toelken earned his sixth win of the season after getting the final out of the top of the eighth inning.
NOTES
- Mizzou completed a perfect 12-0 midweek schedule and finishes its nonconference schedule with a 22-3 mark. Mizzou is perfect in the midweek for the first time since the turn of the century. Mizzou’s previous best mark in midweek games this century was 11-1 in 2001.
- Mizzou is now 29-2 at home against nonconference opponents under second-year head coach and undefeated this season, including a 15-0 mark this season.
- Mizzou now leads the all-time series with Indiana State, 13-6.
- Mizzou earned another win over an RPI top-100 team Tuesday as Indiana State ranked No. 80 in this week’s rankings. Mizzou has 17 RPI top-100 wins this season and 14 vs. the RPI top-50, seventh-most nationally.
- Mizzou improves to 7-0 on Tuesdays this season.
- Senior 3B Alex Samples hit his first Division I triple in the bottom of the fourth inning.
- Senior RF Trey Harris hit his 10th homer of the year in the fourth inning. He is the first Mizzou player with back-to-back seasons of 10+ homers since Jacob Priday in 2007-2008.
UP NEXT
Mizzou hosts Tennessee in its final regular season series of the season this Thursday-Saturday at Taylor Stadium. Mizzou must win two of three over the Vols to qualify for next week’s SEC Tournament.
— Mizzou Athletics —