FORT MYERS, Fla. – Mizzou Baseball dropped the final contest of its season-opening, eight-game road trip, 4-2, to Northeastern Sunday afternoon (Feb. 25) at City of Palms Park. Mizzou closes its road trip with a 5-3 mark to open the 2018 campaign while Northeastern improves to 4-3.

Mizzou senior RHP Andy Toelken (Green Cove Springs, Fla.) took the loss after allowing four runs on six hits over the first 4.1 innings. He was out-dueled by Northeastern’s Sean Mellen. Mizzou hit into a pair of rally-killing double plays in the sixth and seventh innings as it attempted to come back and then saw a ninth-inning rally fall short with the tying run at the plate.

TURNING POINT
Clinging to a 2-1 lead in the top of the fourth inning, Northeastern DH Ryan Solomon hit a two-run homer off Mizzou starter Andy Toelken to extend the lead to 4-1. The Tigers went quietly in a quick 1-2-3 bottom of the fourth and Northeastern seized momentum from there.

Mizzou put two men on in the sixth inning after back-to-back singles from Brett Bond (St. Louis, Mo.) and Zach Hanna (Shawnee Mission, Kan.), threatening to chip into the 4-1 lead. Unfortunately, DH Isiah Cullum (Bushnell, Fla.) hit into a 5-3 double play to squelch the threat. Mizzou again hit into a double play in the seventh and its rally fell short in the ninth.

TOP TIGERS
– Junior RHP Brian Sharp was sensational in relief Sunday, throwing 4.2 shutout innings, allowing just three hits and no walks while striking out six. On the week, he pitched 9.2 shutout innings and struck out 14 without a walk, surrounding just seven hits. He also hit .563 at the plate and drove in 10 runs, including his 5-for-5 performance with a school-record nine RBI in the nightcap of Saturday’s doubleheader.

– Sharp also singled in his only AB in the ninth.

NOTES
– The all-time series between Mizzou and Northeastern is now tied at 2-2

– Mizzou is now 11-5 in games played at City of Palms Park

– Mizzou is now 23-13 in games played away from home under second-year head coach Steve Bieser

– Mizzou is now 15-6 in games played in Florida during the first two weeks of the season over the last two-plus seasons.

– Mizzou falls to 0-2 on Sundays this season

– SS Chris Cornelius batted in the leadoff spot for the first time in his career Sunday.

UP NEXT
Mizzou heads home for a 10-game homestand, beginning Tuesday with the first of a two-game set vs. Alabama A&M.

— Mizzou Athletics —