MIAMI, Fla. – Mizzou Baseball earned its first road win of the season as it defeated Florida International, 7-6, on Wednesday afternoon (Feb. 24). Freshman Brian Sharp (Liberty, Mo.) was sensational in the win, driving in a pair of runs while earning a five-out save in the win. Junior SS Ryan Howard (St. Charles, Mo.) tallied his third multi-hit game of the season and freshman Connor Brumfield (Columbia, Mo.) added two RBI as well, the first two of his career. Mizzou is now 3-2 on the season while FIU falls to 1-4.

Mizzou used the ‘Johnny Wholestaff’ approach on Wednesday as seven Mizzou pitchers saw action. Freshman Ty Shoaff (Akron, Ohio) earned the win, the first of his career, while Sharp earned the save. Cole Bartlett (Williamsburg, Ind.) started and went 2.0 innings. Mizzou led 7-1 before FIU got back into the game, but Sharp’s heroics preserved the win.

Mizzou threatened in the first inning as Howard and Jake Ring (Ingleside, Ill.) tallied back-to-back one-out hits to put two on with one out. Shane Benes (Town & Country, Mo.) gave one a ride to the track but it was hauled in and Zach Lavy (Auxvasse, Mo.) rolled out to first to strand a pair.

Bartlett then took to the mound and retired FIU on nine pitches, tallying a strikeout in the process. The offense then responded in the top of the second as Brett Bond (St. Louis, Mo.) lifted an opposite field homer to left field to give Mizzou a 1-0 lead, his first homer of the year after hitting five a season ago. The line kept moving for Tim Jamieson’s club as an RBI single from Brumfield and Howard made it 3-0 in favor of Mizzou.

FIU got a run back in the bottom of the frame on a big-hop ground ball over the head of Benes at third to score a runner from second. But as quick as FIU got back into the game, Sharp then gave Mizzou its cushion back on two-run single in the third. His single followed a walk and a hit batter and that reopened a 5-1 lead.

Austin Tribby (Springfield, Mo.) turned in two solid innings for Mizzou, registering a season-high three strikeouts while working around three hits and a walk. He got a huge bases-loaded groundout to third to strand three to end the fourth.

Mizzou got two more runs in the fifth inning on a wild pitch and a bases-loaded walk to extend the lead to 7-1. FIU got a run back on a two-out single in the sixth off of reliever Graham Ruopp (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) but a great play by second baseman Ian Nelson (Lake St. Louis, Mo.) limited the damage and stranded a pair.

FIU then got four runs in the seventh inning, two on a two-run blast to left by Kenny Meimestorf, to pull within one at 7-6. FIU then got a runner on third with no outs in the eighth inning and after a big pop-out off of Liam Carter (Highland Park, Ill.), Sharp came on and got two big outs to strand the tying run 90 feet from home. Sharp then got the final three outs of the game to preserve the win.

Mizzou will return to Fort Myers this weekend for a four-game series against Hofstra, beginning Friday at 1 p.m. (CT).

— Mizzou Athletics —

OXFORD, Miss. (AP) — Stefan Moody scored 29 points and ignited a decisive 10-0 run midway through the second half Tuesday night as Mississippi defeated Missouri 85-76.

Ole Miss (18-10, 8-7 Southeastern Conference) used the 10-0 spurt to build a 64-54 lead with 9:31 remaining. Moody had three baskets and a behind-the-back assist for a Tomasz Gielo layup to highlight the surge.

Sebastian Saiz had 15 points and 14 rebounds and Gielo scored 12 points as Ole Miss won for the third time in four games. Moody added eight rebounds, eight assists and three steals. The Rebels led 43-42 at halftime.

Missouri (10-18, 3-12) had four players score in double figures led by Namon Wright with 20 points. Tramaine Isabell scored 17 points with Kevin Puryear and K.J. Walton adding 11 apiece for the Tigers.

— Associated Press —

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Mizzou Women’s Basketball freshman guard Sophie Cunningham (Columbia, Mo.) was named Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Week for the fifth time this season, it was announced Tuesday. Cunningham recorded the third double-double of her freshman season with 24 points and 10 rebounds in Sunday’s 69-55 victory at Auburn.

Cunningham became only the second Mizzou freshman over the last 18 years to record a 24-point, 10-rebound performance and only the third Tiger to finish with 24 points, 10 rebounds and 10 made free throws during that span. She tied a career-high with 10 made foul shots in 12 attempts. For the game, Cunningham finished 6-for-9 from the field and 2-for-2 from 3-point range.

Through 27 games, Cunningham averages a team-leading 13.3 points per game, ranks second on the squad in assists (2.9) and is tied for second in rebounding (5.6). She ranks 11th in the SEC in points and is the only freshman in the league’s top 23 in scoring. Cunningham ranks second in points (360) and made free throws (82), fourth in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.3) and ninth in rebounds (152) by a freshman in Mizzou Women’s Basketball history.

Cunningham ranks fifth in the SEC in free throw percentage (79.6) and 12th in assists (2.9). Cunningham was also named SEC Freshman of the Week on Nov. 17, Nov. 24 and Dec. 8 and Jan. 19.

The No. 24 Tigers (21-6, 8-6) return to action Thursday with a 6 p.m. CT tipoff at No. 15 Kentucky (19-6, 8-6).

— Mizzou Athletics —

AUBURN, Ala. – Mizzou Women’s Basketball (21-6, 8-6) never trailed in a balanced 69-55 victory at Auburn (18-9, 8-6) Sunday afternoon. Junior forward Jordan Frericks (Quincy, Ill.) became the 33rd member of the Mizzou Women’s Basketball 1,000-Point Club while head coach Robin Pingeton earned her 100th victory on the Mizzou sideline.

Sophie Cunningham (Columbia, Mo.) recorded the third double-double of her freshman season with a game-high 24 points and 10 rebounds. Frericks added 18 points, eight rebounds and a career-high six assists. Morgan Stock (Town & Country, Mo.) drained four 3-pointers and finished with 14 points as she tied a career-high with 36 minutes played.

Mizzou got out to an early lead and led 16-12 at the end of the first quarter. Frericks scored eight points in the game’s first 6:04.

In the second quarter, Mizzou increased the lead behind four 3-pointers, including three in a span of four possessions en route to a 36-27 halftime lead. Frericks notched 10 points in the first half while Cunningham added nine.

During the third period, Mizzou outscored Auburn 20-12. Frericks scored her 1,000th career point on a layup with 5:49 remaining in the quarter off of a pass from Lindsey Cunningham (Columbia, Mo.), leading to the uncontested lay-in. Mizzou held a 56-39 advantage heading into the fourth quarter.

Mizzou never trailed throughout the contest and led by as many as 21 points at 69-48 with 2:57 left in the fourth quarter.

For the game, Mizzou shot 52 percent (23-for-44) from the field, 47 percent (8-for-17) from 3-point range and 83 percent (15-for-18) from the free throw line.

Auburn was limited to 31 percent (19-for-60) shooting from the floor, including an 0-for-9 mark from beyond the 3-point arc.

The Tigers return to action at No. 16 Kentucky on Thursday for a 7 p.m. CT tipoff.

— Mizzou Athletics —