FORT MYERS, Fla. – No. 15 Mizzou Baseball got a sensational start from senior righty Reggie McClain (Duluth, Ga.) and scored its most runs in a season-opener since 2011 as it defeated Seton Hall, 7-0, on opening day at City of Palms Park in Fort Myers, Fla. McClain went 8.0 innings and allowed just four hits with zero walks and four strikeouts. In neutral site outings in his career, McClain is now 4-0 with a 0.00 ERA in 32.0 innings with just 17 hits and zero walks in four outings in his Mizzou career.
The offense was led by five players with multiple hits as Mizzou scored its most runs in a season-opener since 2011. Sophomore catcher Brett Bond (St. Louis, Mo.) led the way with three RBI, including a big two-out, full count, bases-loaded single to score two in the fifth inning, giving McClain some much-needed run support. Sophomore third baseman Shane Benes (Town & Country, Mo.) tallied the first Mizzou run on a solo homer in his first at-bat of the season in the second inning. He finished the day with two hits and two RBI. Juniors Ryan Howard (St. Charles, Mo.) and Jake Ring (Ingleside, Ill.) each tallied two-hit games as well.
McClain had a tremendous first inning, throwing just 10 pitches to retire the side. After Mizzou then went 1-2-3 in the first, McClain then worked around a two-out double and a wild pitch to strand a runner on third.
Mizzou got on the board in the second on the solo shot to left field by Benes, his first of the season in his first at-bat of 2016. It was the third of his career. It came off of Preseason All- Big-East pick Shane McCarthy.
McClain continued to baffle Seton Hall hitters, needing just 52 pitches to get through five innings, allowing just one Pirate hit. Mizzou finally got McClain some more offense in the fifth inning, sparked by a one-out hit from freshman Ian Nelson (Lake St. Louis, Mo.). With two outs then, the rally began as Howard and Jake Ring each tallied a pair of two-out hits to load the bases. Bond then bounced a roller up the middle on a full count to extend Mizzou’s lead to 3-0.
McClain then retired the side in order in the sixth inning, needing just 63 pitches to get through six innings. He had a streak of 14 consecutive batters snapped in the seventh, but he got a double-play to send it to the bottom half of the frame. Mizzou then tacked on four runs in the seventh to break the game open, coming on RBI singles from Bond, Benes and Harris and an RBI triple from Ring.
Mizzou and Seton Hall will resume the four-game series with a doubleheader Saturday (Feb. 20) as Tanner Houck (Collinsville, Mo.) and Michael Plassmeyer (St. Louis, Mo.) will make the starts.
— Mizzou Athletics —