(Photo Credit: Mick Lite)
SAUGET, Ill. – Illinois’ David Kerian hit a two-out, two-run home run in the top of the sixth inning to help the Illini defeat Mizzou, 4-3, on Tuesday evening (March 31) at GCS Ballpark. Senior pitcher John Miles (Columbia, Mo.) was charged with loss, his first of the season, after going 6.0 innings, scattering seven hits and allowing four earned runs. He walked just one and struck out five. The loss drops the Tigers to 20-10 on the season and is just the second one-run loss of the year for Mizzou, which is now 8-2 in such games.
The name of the game for the Tigers on Tuesday was missed opportunities. Mizzou scored all three runs in a five-hit fifth inning and had the leadoff man aboard in six of nine innings, but scored in just one. The Tiger offense also left nine men on base in the loss. Illinois’ Rob McDonnell earned the win, his third of the season.
Miles cruised through the first three innings, only seeing remote trouble in the second inning after hitting the leadoff man and seeing him move to third base on a two-out passed-ball and throwing error by catcher Brett Bond (St. Louis, Mo.). But he picked up a strikeout to get through the frame. He turned in 1-2-3 frames in both the first and third.
A one-out walk came back to haunt Miles in the top of the fourth inning as Illinois’ Jason Goldstein ripped a two-out, RBI single through the right side to plate a run, giving the Illini a 1-0 lead moving to the bottom of the fourth. Brett Peel (St. Charles, Mo.) then was hit by a pitch to lead off the fourth inning and promptly stole second base, tying him for the SEC lead with 16 on the year. But he was stranded there despite a two-out walk by Josh Lester (Columbus, Ga.).
Illinois then took advantage of a tough sky in the fifth inning, plating another run. With two outs, Adam Walton singled to bring Ryan Nagle to the plate. Nagle popped up to centerfield and Jake Ring (Ingleside, Ill.) drifted back on the ball, but lost it in the tough sky as it dropped right into shallow center for an RBI double, giving Illinois a 2-0 lead headed to the bottom of the fifth.
But Mizzou finally got to McDonnell in the fifth. Bond led off the frame with a single and stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error. Zach Lavy (Auxvasse, Mo.) then singled him home. The rally kept going as Chris Akmon (Scottsdale, Ariz.) singled into right field. A Case Muson (St. Charles, Mo.) sacrifice bunt put runners on second and third with one down for Peel, who lifted a sacrifice fly just shy of homerun distance to tie the game and move Akmon to third. Ring then legged out an infield hit to the shortstop for an RBI, giving Mizzou a 3-2 lead headed to the top of the sixth.
Illinois then put together a two-out rally in the top of the sixth. Goldstein laced a two-out double past Lester at third and then David Kerian took advantage of the short porch in right, just sneaking a ball over the four-foot wall in right field for a two-run homer, giving Illinois the lead, 4-3.
Mizzou wasted a leadoff double by Ryan Howard (St. Charles, Mo.) in the bottom of the sixth and then came up empty after the first two men reached in the seventh inning. Andrew Schwaab (St. Charles, Mo.) walked the first two batters he faced in the eighth, but got the next three outs to keep Mizzou within striking distance of the Illini.
Bond singled to open the eighth but again was stranded, this time at third as Mizzou missed another opportunity.
Mizzou will be back in action this weekend, hosting a three-game series against No. 4 Florida at Taylor Stadium.
