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Mizzou baseball hangs on to defeat Indiana State 8-7

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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 —

St. Louis drops first game at Minnesota 4-1

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MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Bobby Wilson hit his first home run in more than a year, Jose Berrios bounced back with strong effort on the mound, and the Minnesota Twins beat the St. Louis Cardinals 4-1 on Tuesday night.

Wilson, a journeyman catcher for six different teams in nine major league seasons, hit a slider from St. Louis reliever Luke Gregerson into the left field stands for a two-run homer to cap a three-run seventh inning. It was Wilson’s first major league home run since Sept. 21, 2016 for the Tampa Bay Rays.

Berrios (4-4) surrendered one run on two hits and left after hitting Kolten Wong with a pitch with one out in the eighth. Berrios struck out 10 batters. He had lost three of his past four starts, allowing 18 runs in 18 1/3 innings.

Addison Reed struck out both batters he faced and Fernando Rodney finished his eighth save in 11 chances with a perfect ninth.

Cardinals reliever Brett Cecil (0-1) allowed a double to Logan Morrison to start the seventh. Morrison scored on Byron Buxton’s bunt attempt when Gregerson threw the ball wide of first and into foul territory.

The bullpen wasted another quality outing from rookie right-hander Jack Flaherty, who was recalled from Triple-A earlier in the day with Adam Wainwright going on the disabled list. Flaherty had the longest outing of his eight career major league starts with one run allowed in 5 2/3 innings.

Flaherty’s emergence could be a key factor for the Cardinals with Wainwright and Carlos Martinez on the disabled list. Flaherty was cruising until the sixth when he surrendered three consecutive two-out hits to tie the game.

Wilson was recalled last week when Jason Castro went on the disabled list with a meniscus tear in his right knee. The 35-year-old spent the entire 2017 season in the minors with Oklahoma City in the Los Angeles Dodgers organization. He hit seven homers in 75 games while playing for three different major league teams in 2016.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cardinals: Martinez is still rehabbing a strain to his right lat and manager Mike Matheny said it’s unlikely Martinez would be able to return in time to start this weekend at home against Philadelphia.

Twins: 3B Miguel Sano (left hamstring strain) worked out again prior to the game but doesn’t appear close to a return. Manager Paul Molitor said Sano is unable to run at maximum effort.

UP NEXT

Twins right-hander Lance Lynn (1-3, 7.34 ERA) will make his first start against his former team on Wednesday afternoon as the two teams wrap up a two-game series. Lynn allowed four runs in 4 2/3 innings in his last start. St. Louis counters with right-hander Miles Mikolas (5-0, 2.51), who has given up one run or less in four of his last five starts.

— Associated Press —

Royals fall in series opener against Tampa Bay 2-1

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Adeiny Hechavarria sidestepped catcher Salvador Perez, and instinct took over. Right hand, left hand — then straight to the highlight reels.

Hechavarria danced around Perez with an inventive slide at home plate to score the go-ahead run, and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Kansas City Royals 2-1 on Monday night.

Hechavarria ran through third base coach Matt Quatraro’s stop sign on Matt Duffy’s single to right field in the sixth inning, deked to avoid Perez’s lunging tag attempted, then dived back toward the plate. Hechavarria faked toward the dish with his right hand, then jabbed his left hand just past Perez’s outstretched glove to touch the plate. Umpire Rob Drake immediately signaled him safe.

“That was pure instinct,” Hechavarria said through an interpreter. “I went in thinking, going into a slide, but he was right there kind of blocking the plate, so I went around. I was going to put one hand in, and I saw he was going to put one hand there, so I flipped and put the other hand in there just in time.”

Perez said he expected Hechavarria to jump or slide on a close play. Instead, the backstop ended up diving all over trying to follow Hechavarria’s body.

“He did a tremendous job changing hands,” Perez said. “I think the right hand at first and soon as he sees me (about) to tag him, then he changed from the right to the left and I was too late. That was a great slide. He was safe. We don’t challenge. It’s hard to prepare for that.”

Rays manager Kevin Cash was not pleased with one aspect of the winning run.

“Running through a stop sign, I guess he felt like being acrobatic,” Cash said. “That was a really impressive slide, but we’re probably not going to benefit from making those decisions too often, but it was nice that we did tonight.”

Ryan Yarbrough (3-2) allowed one run over five innings for Tampa Bay, and Duffy had three hits and drove in both runs. Alex Colome worked the ninth for his seventh save in nine opportunities.

Eric Skoglund (1-3) permitted two runs on seven hits, walked none and struck out four in 7 2/3 innings, his longest career outing. He tied a Royals’ record with six assists by a pitcher.

Whit Merrifield had three hits for his seventh multihit game in the past 14 and homered into the Rays’ bullpen to lead off the third.

Yarbrough gave up five hits and picked up his first career victory as a starter. Five Rays relievers held the Royals to one hit over the final four innings.

Jon Jay tripled with one out in the ninth, but Colome struck out Ryan Goins and retired Alex Gordon on a grounder to end the game.

C.J. Cron doubled in the first, extending his on-base streak to 20 games, and scored on Duffy’s single to right. Cron later hit a pitch from Skoglund after it bounced in front of home plate, knocking a line drive that was caught in left field in the sixth.

Yarbrough wriggled out of a bases-loaded jam with one out in the fifth. Alcides Escobar and Merrifield singled and Jorge Soler walked on four pitches. Mike Moustakas bounced a first pitch back to Yarbrough to start an inning-ending double play.

“We got some momentum change after the double play,” Yarbrough said.

ROSTER MOVES

Rays: RHP Andrew Kittredge was optioned to Triple-A Durham. Kittredge was 1-2 with a 9.72 ERA in 13 appearances. They recalled RHP Hunter Wood from Durham. The Rays will activate LHP Anthony Banda on Tuesday and start him against the Royals. Banda went 4-2 in seven starts at Durham.

Royals: IF-OF Hunter Dozier was recalled from Triple-A Omaha and made his first big league start at first base. Dozier, a 2013 first-round pick, played in eight games with the Royals in 2016, playing right field in seven and DHing in the other. He was hitting .254 in 35 games with the Storm Chasers.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Rays: RHP Nathan Eovaldi was scratched from a minor league rehab start with a right rib muscle strain. He’s been on the disabled list all season with loose fragments in his pitching elbow.

Royals: 1B Lucas Duda was placed on the 10-day disabled list with right foot plantar fasciitis. RHP Justin Grimm has reported to Triple-A Omaha to begin a rehab assignment. He is on the disabled list with a lower back injury. Royals 3B Cheslor Cuthbert left after seven innings with back spasms.

UP NEXT

Rays: Banda will make his Tampa Bay debut after appearing in eight games last year with Arizona. He was acquired in a six-player, three-team trade in February, which also included the Yankees.

Royals: RHP Ian Kennedy will try to rebound from a loss Thursday at Baltimore, where he allowed nine runs in four innings.

— Associated Press —

Tiger head coach Cuonzo Martin selected to NCAA oversight committee

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COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Men’s Basketball head coach Cuonzo Martin has been named to the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Oversight Committee, as announced Monday. The committee, which features approximately 12 voting members and four nonvoting members, is comprised of coaches and administrators from across the nation.

“I’m honored to represent both the University of Missouri and the Southeastern Conference on the Men’s Basketball Oversight Committee,” Martin said. “It’s an important time for our sport after the hard work and recommendations put forth by the Commission on College Basketball. I’m looking forward to helping improve our game and working diligently to put young men in the best situations for success on and off the court.”

The Men’s Basketball Oversight Committee will ensure that appropriate oversight of men’s basketball is maintained, will enhance the development and public perception of the sport and make recommendations related to regular-season and postseason men’s basketball. The committee will prioritize enhancement of the student-athlete educational experience (academically and athletically), and in doing so, promote student-athletes’ personal growth and leadership development.

The Men’s Basketball Oversight Committee will supervise qualifications and/or selection procedures for the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship. The committee will review recommendations from the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Committee and process other issues related to the administration of the championship. The committee will assume many of the duties of the former NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Issues Committee and will provide direction to the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Rules Committee regarding playing rules. The committee will be comprised of representatives from each divisional subgroup.

— Mizzou Athletics —

Northwest’s Weis earns D2CCA All-Region Honors

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TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – Northwest Missouri State University softball sophomore Kaitlyn Weis earned 2018 Division II Conference Commissioner’s Association (D2CCA) All-Central Region Second Team softball honors on Monday.

Weis was named to the All-MIAA First Team as a second baseman this year. During the 2018 season, Weis led the team in almost every category. She batted .390, crossed the plate 39 times, knocked in 48 runs and recorded 57 hits. The second baseman started in all 46 games for the Bearcats this season and finished the regular season tied for first place in the record books for most home runs in a season with 15.

Seven other MIAA softball players earned 2018 Division II Conference Commissioner’s Association (D2CCA) All-Central Region softball honors.

— Northwest Athletics —

Royals lose 11-2 at Cleveland as Duffy gives up nine runs

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CLEVELAND (AP) — Corey Kluber was handed a big lead early in the game and the rest was simple.

Kluber became the American League’s first six-game winner and the Cleveland Indians beat the Kansas City Royals 11-2 on Sunday.

The Indians led 9-0 going into the fifth, leading to a stress-free afternoon for the reigning Cy Young Award winner, who gave up two unearned runs in seven innings, scattering eight hits.

“If you have a nine run cushion, obviously you have a bigger margin for error,” Kluber said. “They’ve always been pretty aggressive against me. It can work both ways. You can get some early contact and get some quick outs.”

Kluber (6-2) was backed by four hits from Yan Gomes, including a three-run homer. Jose Ramirez also hit a three-run shot and Michael Brantley had a two-run homer as the Indians had 15 hits.

“It was nice to get him some runs,” Indians manager Terry Francona said. “He knows what to do with it.”

Kansas City manager Ned Yost knew the big deficit was a bad sign against Kluber, who also won the Cy Young in 2014.

“Yes, he’s that good,” Yost said. “He’s got a tremendous cutter, a real good curveball, and a fastball that starts at a hitter’s hip and just fades right back in over the corner. He’s got excellent command.”

Yankees starter Luis Severino later joined Kluber with six wins.

Gomes hit a fourth-inning home run off Danny Duffy (1-5), doubled in the second and singled in the third and sixth to match his career high for hits.

Ramirez’s homer capped a five-run second inning while Brantley homered in the seventh.

Francisco Lindor extended his hitting streak to a career-high 14 games with three hits, including an RBI single in the third. Lindor had two homers and two doubles Saturday. He got off to an inauspicious start Sunday, walking to home plate in the first inning wearing the wrong batting helmet.

A switch-hitter, Lindor had on the helmet he usually uses when he hits left-handed — with a protective flap on the right side. But he was facing the left-hander Duffy and was going to hit right-handed.

Lindor quickly realized the mistake, exchanged helmets with a bat boy and smiled when he returned to the batter’s box. Lindor flied out. Helmets with flaps on the side facing the pitcher have been mandatory for all players making their major league debuts since 1983.

Cleveland strung together a single, a double, two walks, a hit batter, a wild pitch and RBI ground balls by Greg Allen and Brantley in the second to take a 2-0 lead. Ramirez’s 12th homer of the season pushed the lead to five.

After striking out Brandon Guyer to finally end the inning, a frustrated Duffy tossed a cooler in the dugout but his day would only get worse. Lindor drove in another run in the following inning before Gomes hit his fifth homer of the season.

Duffy allowed nine runs in 3 1/3 innings. His fortunes were much different than his previous outing when the Royals scored 10 runs in the top of the first. Duffy allowed one run in 5 1/3 innings for his first win of the season.

Duffy, whose ERA jumped from 5.15 to 6.51, gave his performance a harsh critique.

“I just wasn’t making pitches,” he said. “There is nothing else to it. I don’t know what else to say. I have not been a good pitcher this year. There are no excuses. I’ve been letting my team down.”

PERFECT DAY?

Gomes fouled out to first baseman Lucas Duda in the seventh, ending his bid for a 5 for 5 afternoon. He admitted getting a fifth hit was on his mind.

“It’s an 11-2 ballgame, so you can take in some of the moment while you’re having your last at-bat,” he said. “I was going to be happy no matter what, I think.”

LOOK OUT

The ball boy seated in foul territory near the right field line moved quickly to avoid being hit by Rajai Davis’ foul line drive in the eight. The ball boy leaned back in his chair with his legs going in the air as the ball hit off the front of the stands a couple of feet away.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: RHP Justin Grimm (stiff lower back) began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Omaha. He appeared in 10 of Kansas City’s first 19 games before being placed on the disabled list on April 24.

Indians: CF Bradley Zimmer (bruised chest) was out of the lineup again and a trip to the disabled list is possible if he’s not ready in the next day or two. Zimmer has appeared in one game since crashing into the wall at Yankee Stadium on May 5. … LHP Ryan Merritt (shoulder inflammation) has been shut down for three to five days on his minor league rehab assignment.

UP NEXT

Royals LHP Eric Skogland (1-2, 6.34 ERA) takes on Rays LHP Ryan Yarbrough (2-2, 4.30 ERA) in the opener of a three-game series at Kauffman Stadium. Indians RHP Carlos Carrasco (5-1, 3.61 ERA) faces Tigers RHP Mike Fiers (3-2, 4.73 ERA) as the teams begin a three-game set at Comerica Park.

— Associated Press —

Mizzou softball earns 12th straight bid to the NCAA Tournament

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COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Softball was named to its 12th-straight NCAA Regional, announced Sunday (May 13) by the NCAA Division I Softball Selection Committee. The Tigers have qualified for the NCAA Tournament in each of the past 12 years, beginning with their 2007 campaign.

Sunday evening’s selection show placed Mizzou in the Norman Regional as the No. 2 seed. Joining the Tigers in Norman, Oklahoma, will be host and No. 4 national seed Oklahoma, No. 3 seed Tulsa and No. 4 seed Boston.

Mizzou will meet Tulsa in its opening matchup Friday, May 18 inside Marita Hynes Field. First pitch is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.

— Mizzou Athletics —

Wainwright struggles as St. Louis loses at San Diego

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SAN DIEGO (AP) — After a slow start to his season that included four straight losses, 34-year-old Clayton Richard is looking strong for the San Diego Padres.

Richard matched his career high with 10 strikeouts in eight brilliant innings for his first win in more than a month, and the Padres beat struggling Adam Wainwright and the St. Louis Cardinals 5-3 Sunday to salvage a split of their four-game series. Wainwright said afterward that he re-aggravated an elbow injury that had landed him on the disabled list.

Richard (2-5) held the Cardinals to two runs and five hits while walking only one to win for the first time since April 9 at Colorado. He then had a no-decision and four straight losses.

“He’s been big for us in a lot of different ways, from a leadership standpoint, from an innings standpoint, from a win standpoint,” manager Andy Green said. “It’s a big win for us today. That gave us a split after being down two-nothing.”

Richard said it was important to go deep into the game because Saturday night’s game went 13 innings before the Padres won 2-1.

“You know the situation both clubs are in, having had a game like that last night. So you want to do everything you can to stay in the game as long as you can. Fortunately today it worked out for us that way.”

Richard has been plagued by poor run support, with the Padres scoring no runs for the big left-hander in four of his previous eight starts. Included was his last start, when he pitched three-hit ball for eight innings and struck out eight but lost 4-0 to Washington.

Richard got enough backing Sunday thanks to Wainwright’s wildness. The 36-year-old right-hander was activated from the 10-day disabled list after a bout with right elbow inflammation and walked six in just 2 1/3 innings, throwing 79 pitches. He allowed two runs on three hits and struck out three.

Richard got into trouble only in the sixth, when he walked Tommy Pham and then allowed an RBI triple by Harrison Bader and an RBI single by Jose Martinez.

Otherwise, he was throwing his slider well enough to match his career strikeout high set June 30, 2010, against Colorado.

Wainwright (1-3) threw 33 pitches in the first inning, loading the bases with two outs on a single and two walks, but didn’t yield any runs.

He wasn’t as lucky in the third. He walked the bases loaded with one out and then allowed a single by Cory Spangenberg and was pulled in favor of John Gant. Freddy Galvis followed with a sacrifice fly.

The Padres added on in the fourth with three hits against Gant, with Jose Pirela hitting an RBI double and Franchy Cordero following with an RBI single.

Brad Hand struggled through the ninth for his 11th save in 13 opportunities. Hand allowed Bader’s leadoff homer, his third, and then loaded the bases with one out, on two walks and a hit batter. He struck out Carson Kelly and Kolten Wong to end it.

Wainwright said he re-aggravated his elbow problem on the third-to-last warmup pitch.

“It’s tough. If I’m able to go out there and make pitches and put my arm in the position where it allows me to execute, then I will take my chances against anyone,” he said. “But I wasn’t able to execute, so I was falling behind and I didn’t want to give in, so I was walking some guys.

“Luckily we got through the first two innings, got out of a couple of jams. But if you keep putting yourself you in binds, it’s going to be tough.”

He couldn’t locate his fastball or throw his good cutter.

“I need to pause and get it right,” Wainwright said. “This team deserves more than that and the fans deserve more than that and the organization does, too. If I’m going to be a force down the stretch, I need to get healthy first. Luckily we have a lot of young guys primed for this position.”

Said manager Mike Matheny: “That’s not the pitcher he wants to be. It’s the pitcher he had to be today but that’s not the pitcher he wants to be.”

QUOTABLE

“He was lobbying for the ninth. I tried to explain to him, a guy who was valedictorian of his high school class, that I was pinch-hitting for him at the time he was lobbying for the opportunity to stay in the game,” Green said of Richard. “His competitive nature won out over his intellect for a moment.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Padres: Placed RHP Phil Maton on the 10-day disabled list with a right lat strain and recalled RHP Kazuhisa Makita from Triple-A El Paso.

UP NEXT

Cardinals: RHP Jack Flaherty (0-1, 3.60) is scheduled to start Tuesday night in the opener of a two-game series at Minnesota, which counters with RHP Jose Berrios (3-4, 4.50).

Padres: Rookie LHP Joey Lucchesi (3-2, 2.98) is scheduled to start the opener of a two-game series Monday night against Colorado, which counters with LHP Tyler Anderson (2-1, 4.23).

— Associated Press —

Missouri loses series finale at South Carolina

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COLUMBIA, S.C. – Mizzou junior lefty Tyler LaPlante turned in 8.0 shutout innings but South Carolina’s Carlos Cortes hit a walk-off solo homer on the first pitch in the bottom of the ninth inning as the Gamecocks claimed a 1-0 win Sunday at Founder’s Park. The walk-off win for the Gamecocks clinched the weekend series as Mizzou falls to 31-20 and 10-17 in SEC play.

LaPlante struck out a career-high eight and allowed just the one run on five hits with only one walk in a tough-luck loss as he falls to 4-3 on the year. Carolina’s Eddie Demaruis earned the win, improving to 5-0 after throwing the final 2.0 innings.

Mizzou had its chances in the game, stranding seven runners. The Tigers also lost a run at the plate in the first inning.

TURNING POINT

Mizzou had a chance to take an early 1-0 lead, getting a pair of men on in the first inning. Five-hole hitter senior 3B Alex Samples roped a single into right field, but a strong throw from Gamecock RF Cortes gunned a sprinting Brian Sharp at the plate for the third out in the inning. Both LaPlante and Carolina starter Cody Morris then engaged in a pitcher’s duel until, each pitcher throwing up zero after zero.

The stalemate was finally broken in the bottom of the ninth as Cortes roped a solo homer to right field on the first pitch of the frame.

TOP TIGERS

  • Junior 1B Brian Sharp walked to lead off the game. He has reached base safely in 12 straight contests this season. He added an eighth-inning single as he hit safely in all three games over the weekend.
  • Junior lefty Tyler LaPlante was tremendous in his ninth start of the season Sunday. He tossed 8.0 innings, allowing just five hits with a walk while matching his career-high with eight strikeouts. He threw more than 100 pitches for the second time in a Mizzou uniform. He threw a career-high 113 pitches on a 95-degree day.

NOTES

  • Mizzou now trails the all-time series with South Carolina, 13-7.
  • Mizzou falls to 3-5 on Sundays
  • Mizzou falls to 18-18 in three-game series this season and 2-4 in SEC rubber games.

UP NEXT

Mizzou opens its finale homestand of the season Tuesday with a 6 p.m. start vs. Indiana State

— MWSU Athletics —

Missouri Western blanks Bearcats to stay alive at MIAA Tournament

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WARRENSBURG, Mo. – Great pitching, solid defense and clutch hitting kept Griffon Baseball’s (29-23) season alive as Missouri Western eliminated MIAA Co-Champion Northwest Missouri (30-22) from the MIAA Championships with a 4-0 victory.

Jacob Miller, Kellan Richards and Preston Bailey combined to shutout the postseason tournament’s No. 2 seed. The sixth-seeded Griffons scored two, two-out runs in the bottom of the fifth, getting two-out RBIs from Nick Scharanck and Fahd Shakeel. Missouri Western added two more in the eighth started by a leadoff solo home run to left by Shakeel. Dusty Stroup drove in the Griffons’ fourth run in the eighth on a fielder’s choice. Shakeel finished the game 3-for-4 and finished the game with five hits through the Griffons first two postseason games.

Miller (9-2) got the win, pitching 6 2/3. He held Northwest to five hits while striking out four. Kellan Richards came in with two out in the seventh and the bases full of Bearcats. He induced a fly ball to right that ended the threat. Bailey pitched a perfect eighth and ninth, striking out the side in the final frame, to earn his seventh save of the season.

Missouri Western will play at 9 a.m. again on Saturday against No. 7 seed Emporia State.  The game will be broadcast on ESPN 1550 AM or you can click here to listen.

— MWSU Athletics —
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