Recap from @Reed_Koutelas
Sharp dazzles as Missouri blanks the Hurricanes
When Miami’s Romy Gonzalez flared a single into right-center field, advancing his teammate Michael Burns to third base, it felt as if Missouri’s Brian Sharp might finally bleed.
For the second time of the game, Sharp was in a jam with one out, and for the second time, he dialed up his best stuff and escaped. The junior struck out Alex Toral and Michael Amditis back-to-back, ending the fourth inning.
In his first start as a Tiger, Sharp dazzled in Missouri’s 9-0 win over No. 24 Miami in its fourth game of its season-opening trip to Florida. In five innings of work, he struck out eight, walked none, and allowed only four hits while blanking the Hurricanes.
Most notably, he looked best when runners surrounded him on the bases. Miami batted a paltry 1-7 with runners on base and went 0-4 with runners in scoring position against Sharp.
Against its first ranked opponent of the season, Missouri put forth an all-around performance. Michael Mediavilla, Miami’s starter, kept the Tigers hitless through three innings, but the fourth brought problems for the Hurricanes.
With the bases loaded with no outs, Mark Vierling rifled a Mediavilla offering into the pitcher’s foot. Mediavilla attempted to recover and throw home, but he misfired, allowing Connor Brumfield and Trey Harris to score.
Brett Bond singled to right field, driving in Kameron Misner. Alex Samples placed a perfect sacrifice bunt down the first-base line, scoring Vierling. Chris Cornelius then singled, scoring Bond. The Tigers came one batter short of batting around.
Missouri led 5-0 after the inning and didn’t look back. Sharp faced the minimum in the fifth. After relieving the junior in the sixth, T.J. Sikkema handled the next three innings, striking out four while holding Miami at bay.
The Tigers pushed their lead even further in the ninth. After Trey Harris doubled and stole third, Misner shot an RBI double to left field, making it 6-0. The Hurricanes couldn’t escape the inning, issuing three bases-loaded walks with two outs. Missouri extended its lead to 9-0, and Cameron Dulle closed out the game in the ninth.
Misner kept his scorching start to his season going, as he went 2-3 with an RBI double and two walks. The sophomore has now walked eleven times in four games. Cornelius tallied his second multi-hit game of the year, going 3-4. Harris checked in with a 2-4 night, including a double, a walk and two stolen bases.
The Tigers are 3-1 on the young season, and a valuable starter emerged against Miami. In Sharp’s first two years at Missouri, he was limited to a bullpen role where he recorded a 4.37 ERA in 35 innings.
However, looking for a solid mid-week starter, head coach Steve Bieser looked to the junior, and he didn’t disappoint. If Sharp’s start can be replicated, he’s just another valuable arm that Bieser can utilize — as a starter or out of the pen — and that makes the Tigers all the more dangerous.
Missouri opens a weekend series against Northeastern on Friday at 5:30 p.m in Fort Meyers, Florida.
Sharp dazzles as Missouri blanks the Hurricanes
When Miami’s Romy Gonzalez flared a single into right-center field, advancing his teammate Michael Burns to third base, it felt as if Missouri’s Brian Sharp might finally bleed.
For the second time of the game, Sharp was in a jam with one out, and for the second time, he dialed up his best stuff and escaped. The junior struck out Alex Toral and Michael Amditis back-to-back, ending the fourth inning.
In his first start as a Tiger, Sharp dazzled in Missouri’s 9-0 win over No. 24 Miami in its fourth game of its season-opening trip to Florida. In five innings of work, he struck out eight, walked none, and allowed only four hits while blanking the Hurricanes.
Most notably, he looked best when runners surrounded him on the bases. Miami batted a paltry 1-7 with runners on base and went 0-4 with runners in scoring position against Sharp.
Against its first ranked opponent of the season, Missouri put forth an all-around performance. Michael Mediavilla, Miami’s starter, kept the Tigers hitless through three innings, but the fourth brought problems for the Hurricanes.
With the bases loaded with no outs, Mark Vierling rifled a Mediavilla offering into the pitcher’s foot. Mediavilla attempted to recover and throw home, but he misfired, allowing Connor Brumfield and Trey Harris to score.
Brett Bond singled to right field, driving in Kameron Misner. Alex Samples placed a perfect sacrifice bunt down the first-base line, scoring Vierling. Chris Cornelius then singled, scoring Bond. The Tigers came one batter short of batting around.
Missouri led 5-0 after the inning and didn’t look back. Sharp faced the minimum in the fifth. After relieving the junior in the sixth, T.J. Sikkema handled the next three innings, striking out four while holding Miami at bay.
The Tigers pushed their lead even further in the ninth. After Trey Harris doubled and stole third, Misner shot an RBI double to left field, making it 6-0. The Hurricanes couldn’t escape the inning, issuing three bases-loaded walks with two outs. Missouri extended its lead to 9-0, and Cameron Dulle closed out the game in the ninth.
Misner kept his scorching start to his season going, as he went 2-3 with an RBI double and two walks. The sophomore has now walked eleven times in four games. Cornelius tallied his second multi-hit game of the year, going 3-4. Harris checked in with a 2-4 night, including a double, a walk and two stolen bases.
The Tigers are 3-1 on the young season, and a valuable starter emerged against Miami. In Sharp’s first two years at Missouri, he was limited to a bullpen role where he recorded a 4.37 ERA in 35 innings.
However, looking for a solid mid-week starter, head coach Steve Bieser looked to the junior, and he didn’t disappoint. If Sharp’s start can be replicated, he’s just another valuable arm that Bieser can utilize — as a starter or out of the pen — and that makes the Tigers all the more dangerous.
Missouri opens a weekend series against Northeastern on Friday at 5:30 p.m in Fort Meyers, Florida.
