THIBODAUX, La. – Missouri baseball dropped its first game of the season with a 9-8 loss on Sunday afternoon at Nicholls State.
After falling behind 6-2 early, the Tigers (2-1) battled all the way back to eventually take an 8-6 lead in the seventh inning. Nicholls (1-2) responded with a three-run bottom half to retake the lead.
Junior Torin Montgomery led the Tigers at the plate with a 4-for-5 day and three runs scored. Freshman left-hander Tony Neubeck (0-1) was saddled with the loss in relief, allowing an unearned run in 1.2 innings of work.
Nicholls was led offensively by Edgar Alvarez who finished 2-for-5 with three RBI. Veteran Chase Gearing (1-0) earned the win with three innings of relief work while allowing just one run.
IMPACT INNING
After taking the lead 8-6 in the top of the seventh, Mizzou saw Nicholls respond with a three-run inning itself to retake the advantage. The Colonels used an eight-pitch walk and a double to score one and cut the deficit to 8-7. Wes Toups then blooped a game-tying knock to left and moved to third on the play when the bullpen gate swung open as Tiger outfielder Isaiah Frost went to collect the ball.
The extra bag proved costly as Toups would score on a grounder to second when the throw home sailed high and wide. The run would be the difference in the 9-8 game.
TOP TIGERS
Torin Montgomery: 4-for-5, 2B, 3 R
Josh Day: 2-for-5, 2 RBI
Ross Lovich: 1-for-2, 2 RBI, 2 BB
IN THE NOTES
- Montgomery’s four hits matched his career-high. The three runs scored also equaled his career best.
- Freshman Carlos Peña was hitless on the day, but did finish the game with a pair of RBI for his fourth and fifth on the season.
- Sophomore Trevor Austin was hit-by-pitch three times on Sunday and finished with an RBI.
- Day’s two-RBI came in the seventh on a two-out single to left, momentarily giving the Tigers a late lead.
FROM THE SKIP
Coach Bieser on the what made the difference Sunday…
“I thought the key today was the first pitch stuff. We were not very good on the first pitch. I think we were chasing some borderline pitches and we really weren’t locked in to trying to do our job with the first pitch. That kind of got us behind or it got us to roll over a ball really quick. We’ve got to be a little bit more concentrated with that first pitch and kind of set that AB up a little bit better.”
UP NEXT
Mizzou and Nicholls conclude the four-game opening set on Monday in a 1 p.m. first pitch.
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