@MizzouBaseball Falls at No. 16 Missouri State

Tuesday, April 12

Springfield, Mo.

6:35 p.m.

University of Missouri

20-15

Missouri State

26-6

Mizzou

Missouri State

4/12/2016 8:18:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Mizzou Baseball dropped the first of its annual two-game, midweek series at No.16 Missouri State, 16-1, on Tuesday night (April 12) at Hammons Field. MSU tallied two runs in the second inning off of Mizzou starter Ryan Lee (Grandview, Mo.) and three more in the fourth without a hit to open a 5-0 lead and never looked back. The two teams will meet again at Taylor Stadium in Columbia on April 26 at 6 p.m.

Mizzou falls to 20-15 on the year while MSU improves to 26-6. Lee was charged with the loss, dropping him to 2-2 on the season while MSU's Austin Knight earned the win, improving to 3-0 on the year. Mizzou was led at the plate by senior 1B Zach Lavy (Auxvasse, Mo.) who tallied his SEC-leading 21^st extra-base hit with his team-leading 12^th double of the season. He had a pair of hits as did junior SS Ryan Howard (St. Charles, Mo.).

After a solid first inning, Lee ran into trouble in the second. He issued a leadoff walk followed by a double and single as MSU jumped on top, 2-0, without Mizzou recording an out. MSU could have added more runs, but Mizzou played tremendous defense, including a nice play at first by Zach Lavy (Auxvasse, Mo.) and a diving catch in left from Trey Harris (Powder Springs, Ga.). Those two plays likely saved three runs.

MSU struck again in the fourth as Mizzou reliever Ty Shoaff (Akron, Ohio) loaded the bases on a hit batter, a walk and an error as he tried to field a sacrifice bunt. He then hit a batter to drive in MSU's third run. The Bears tacked on two more runs on a sacrifice fly and a throwing error by Shane Benes (Town & Country, Mo.).

Mizzou got a hit to lead off the fifth inning from freshman OF Connor Brumfield (Columbia, Mo.) but he was caught stealing and Mizzou went quietly again. The Bears then tacked on three more runs in the bottom part of the fifth and eight more in the eighth inning. Mizzou's lone run was driven in by Jack Klages (St. Louis, Mo.) on an RBI single in the top of the ninth inning.

Mizzou will be back in action this weekend, hosting No. 9 LSU in a three-game series at Taylor Stadium beginning Friday at 6 p.m. All three games will air live on SEC Network+. For all the latest on all things Mizzou Baseball, stay tuned to MUTigers.com and follow the team on twitter @MizzouBaseball and like the team on Facebook and Instagram (Mizzou Baseball).

Postgame Notes

Mizzou now trails the all-time series with MSU, 27-24.
Mizzou falls to 2-2 on Tuesdays this season.
1B Zach Lavy singled in the second inning and now owns a seven-game hitting streak, one off of the longest by a Tiger this season.
Lavy added his team-leading 12^th double of the season in the fourth inning. He leads the SEC with 21 extra-base hits this season.
CF Jake Ring earned a one-out walk in the top of the first inning as he has now reached base safely in 10 consecutive games.
DH Kirby McGuire doubled in the third inning as he has now reached base safely in 11 straight games.
RHP Cole Bartlett made his team-leading 19^th appearance on Tuesday (second in the SEC).