Mizzou freshman DH Chad McDaniel hit a go-ahead double in the top of the seventh inning as No. 24 Mizzou Baseball downed in-state foe No. 19 Missouri State, 8-6, Tuesday evening at Hammons Field. Mizzou ran out to a 5-1 lead before Missouri State rallied to go on top, 6-5, after six innings.
The Tigers scored three times in the seventh after MSU reliever Jake Fromsonretired the first two hitters of the inning. McDaniel’s liner to left brought in both the tying and go-ahead runs, before a pinch double from Cade Bormet scored the third run in the inning.
The Bears erased an early four-run deficit behind scoring rallies in four consecutive innings. Jeremy Eierman’s two-out double put the Bears on the board in the third, before another two-out hit—this one from Jack Duffy—added another run in the fourth. Duffy singled again to lead off the sixth, moved into scoring position on a wild pitch, then raced home when Hunter Steinmetz beat a two-out routine ground ball to the right side. Eierman followed with his second hit of the night to put runners on the corners, and Drew Millas, current MVC Player of the Week, laced the first pitch he saw into right for the go-ahead RBI single.
“Well it was a hard fought game. I like the way the team responded,” said Mizzou coach Steve Bieser. “We had some issues there in the middle innings, but we got off to a good start and we were able to finish the game. I’ve never questioned our club. They never quit – I’ve never seen that out of them ever. It was frustrating there in the middle parts when we weren’t scoring and the other team was scoring. They came back and we gave up the lead, but that is what good clubs do. They just keep going and they know if they keep doing the right things, good things will happen.”
Mizzou will be back in action Friday, opening a three-game series at No. 1 Florida. First pitch is slated for 5:30 p.m. (CT).
Missouri State will wrap up their seven-game home stand with a three-game series against another ranked foe, the Oregon State Beavers. MSU and OSU will open the weekend with an 11 a.m., doubleheader on Friday (April 13).