@MizzouBaseball Holds on For 8-5 Win at No. 15 Arkansas

Saturday, April 2

Fayetteville, Ark.

7:30 p.m.

University of Missouri

16-13, 1-7

Arkansas

19-8, 4-4

Mizzou

Arkansas

@MizzouBaseball Holds on For 8-5 Win at No. 15 Arkansas

4/2/2016 11:11:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Mizzou Baseball hung on for an 8-5 win over No. 15 Arkansas on Saturday night (April 2) at Baum Stadium. Mizzou used a big four-run fourth inning and tremendous work out of the bullpen from senior LHP Austin Tribby (Springfield, Mo.) to improve to 16-13 (1-7 SEC) on the season. Junior SS Ryan Howard (St. Charles, Mo.) went 1-for-3 with three RBI, two walks and a run and had a big two-run double to open the scoring in the first inning to lead the offense. All of that backed a solid start by sophomore RHP Tanner Houck (Collinsville, Ill.), who earned his third win of the season.

In all, Mizzou's 2-through-5 hitters drove in seven of eight runs as LF Trey Harris (Powder Springs, Ga.) also drove in a pair. Jake Ring (Ingleside, Ill.) and Zach Lavy (Auxvasse, Mo.) each drove in runs and each added two hits. Mizzou hit four doubles, a triple and a homer on Saturday as six of its 11 hits went for extra bases.

Mizzou opened a 6-0 lead before Arkansas rallied for three to cut into the lead at 7-5. But Mizzou got a big insurance run in the eighth inning and Tribby was lights out, earning his first save after tossing 1.2 innings, allowing just one hit with three strikeouts.

For the second consecutive game, Mizzou scored in the first inning with the runs coming on a two-run double by Ryan Howard (St. Charles, Mo.). Before his double, Mizzou got a leadoff single from Kirby McGuire (Round Rock, Texas) and a double to left center from Jake Ring (Ingleside, Ill.) to set up the inning.

Houck came out in the first and cruised through the first three hitters on just 11 pitches and then threw up another zero in the second on just six pitches. Arkansas got its first baserunner on a leadoff walk in the third inning. The Razorbacks threatened to score, getting a runner to third on an error by Shane Benes (Town & Country, Mo.), but Houck picked up his second strikeout to strand the runner on third.

Benes atoned for his error in the top of the fourth, launching an 0-1 fastball off the foul pole in left field for his second homer of the series and fourth of the year, extending the lead to 3-0. Mizzou continued to add on in the fourth as a sacrifice fly by Ring made it 4-0. Mizzou then worked the bases loaded and Trey Harris (Powder Springs, Ga.) roped a 3-1 pitch through the right side to plate a pair, putting Mizzou on top, 6-0.

Arkansas got on the board in the fifth inning on a two-out homer on a 2-2 pitch by DH Austin Catron to cut the lead to 6-1. Arkansas then plated another run in the sixth inning on an RBI groundout and tacked on three more in the seventh inning as Houck allowed a walk, single and triple before Liam Carter (Highland Park, Ill.) came on and limited the damage for Mizzou, getting a 5-3 groundout and a pair of fielder's choice outs to short, the first of which was a sparkling play by Howard to rob a hit and likely another run.

Mizzou got a run back in the eighth as Brett Bond's (St. Louis, Mo.) first career triple led to a run scored on an error off the bat oh Howard on what would have likely been an inning-ending double play. Mizzou then got out of an bases-loaded jam in the eighth inning on tremendous pitching by Tribby and he came back out in the ninth and struck out a pair and got a fly out to center to end the game.

Mizzou and Arkansas will close their series Sunday at 12:30 p.m. at Baum Stadium 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).

Hear From Mizzou
Head Coach Tim Jamieson

Opening statement…
"It wasn't easy. Seems like every at-bat is contested and we did a good job offensively and did what we needed to do and played good defense and got just enough pitching."

On the ability to tack on runs throughout the game…
"I don't think there is any question about it because they made a run at us. I think also to make that three-run inning a three-run inning was big because that could have been an ugly inning."

On getting the monkey off the back with the first SEC win…
"Well it's big for us. We'll see tomorrow if that has any lasting effect or not. We're playing hard. That's the thing that we just have to continue to do."

Mizzou LHP Austin Tribby

On his performance…
"It felt good but I know I can't give enough credit to my offense. Eight runs on 10 hits. They came to play today. We call came to play today. We've got something to prove."

On what made him effective…
"I was just competing out there. I was just attacking with my fastball and attacking with my breaking ball and hoping to put it in play and I just managed to get some strikeouts."

On what the team means for the team going forward…
"I think it means a lot. Getting the first win out of the way. That was a big game against a ranked opponent. Now we go and we'll build off it from here."

Postgame Notes

Mizzou now leads the all-time series, 29-24-1.
Mizzou is now 5-6 on Saturdays.
Saturday marked Mizzou's first win over a ranked opponent this season and first since April 5, 2015, vs. Florida.
Mizzou improves to 11-4 when scoring first this season.
Mizzou improves to 9-2 when scoring in the first inning this season.
Mizzou has now scored in the first inning in each of the last two games.
The eight runs match the most that Mizzou has scored in a Tanner Houck start this season (last time was vs. Hofstra in an 8-0 win on Feb. 27.
For the second consecutive game, OF Kriby McGuire led off the game with a hit after leading off Friday night's games with a double. McGuire now has a four-game hitting streak.
Ryan Howard's two-run double in the first inning extended his hitting streak to five straight games. He has reached base safely in seven straight games.
Ian Nelson drew a walk to lead off the second inning as he has now reached base safely in 10 consecutive games.
Shane Benes hit his fourth homer of the season and second of the series in the top of the fourth inning Saturday. His first two homers of the year were in back-to-back games and his third and fourth homers of the year were in back-to-back games.
Tanner Houck went 4.2 innings without allowing a hit on Saturday before Austin Catron's homer broke up his no-hitter.
1B Zach Lavy hit his team-leading 10^th double of the season in the sixth inning, plating Mizzou's seventh run.
C Brett Bond tallied his first career triple in the eighth inning on Saturday.
Mizzou DH Brian Sharp walked in the top of the ninth and has now reached base safely in 13 consecutive games, the second-longest streak by a Tiger this season and the longest current streak.