When a team gives up 16 earned run over 11 innings pitched — an ERA good for 12.27 — it’s definitely not customary for a “W” to appear in the box score. On Tuesday, in a makeup game against Iowa in Iowa City, Konnor Ash, Cameron Pferrer, Ian Bedell, Brian Sharp and Andy Toelken all combined to surrender 15 earned runs, and yet Missouri won its eleventh consecutive midweek game, beating the Hawkeyes 17-16 in 11 innings.
This game had everything you can imagine. Missouri faced a 8-0 deficit from the get go, as Ash, Pferrer and Bedell combined to surrender eight runs after three innings. Right as it appeared the Tigers were clawing their way back into it, scoring six runs from the fourth inning to the sixth, Iowa put up a five-spot in the bottom of the sixth, extending its lead to 13-6.
But as we saw Sunday, when Missouri came back from a six-run hole against Kentucky to tie the game (but lost 11-10 anyway), the Tigers don’t shy away from a big deficit. With six hits and a walk, they scraped together seven runs in the eighth that was capped off by a two-run Zach Hanna home run that tied the game at 13.
As soon as the Tigers summited the peak, the Hawkeyes knocked them back down. Tyler Cropley homered on Andy Toelken’s second pitch, making it 14-13 after eight innings. It wasn’t over though.
Missouri nabbed its first lead of the five-hour game in the ninth, when Tony Ortiz hit a sacrifice fly to tie the game again and Connor Brumfield doubled to make it 15-14 Tigers. It wasn’t over then either. Seeing a pattern?
Just as they did a frame earlier, the Hawkeyes hit a solo home run in the bottom of the ninth. Mitchell Boe’s homer to left — the second given up by Toelken — brought the game to another tie at 15-15.
Thanks to a one-out rally that contained RBI singles from Chris Cornelius and Trey Harris in the 11th, Missouri took its second lead of the game 17-15. This time, it kept it, despite another Iowa home run in the bottom half that cut the lead to 17-16.
This game obviously has some good and bad. Missouri gave up 16 runs, the most its surrendered in a game this season. The only pitcher of the seven who threw who didn’t give up a run was Montes de Oca. Ash couldn’t get more than three outs, and the depth of the bullpen is surely suspect.
But after being futile for so long, the Tigers’ bats have appeared to found life this past week. The Tigers scored more than ten runs twice against Kentucky last weekend, and the 17 runs they put up Tuesday were their most since Feburary 24 against Northeastern, more than three months ago.
All in all, this brain-twister of a win is number 30 for Missouri, as it’s now 30-15. MU has eclipsed the 30-win mark in each of the past two years after having a losing season in 2016. There is a long ways to go, but coach Steve Bieser appears to be right on track with his plan to change this program for the better.
The Tigers will now return home and host Georgia for a three-game set starting Thursday.
This game had everything you can imagine. Missouri faced a 8-0 deficit from the get go, as Ash, Pferrer and Bedell combined to surrender eight runs after three innings. Right as it appeared the Tigers were clawing their way back into it, scoring six runs from the fourth inning to the sixth, Iowa put up a five-spot in the bottom of the sixth, extending its lead to 13-6.
But as we saw Sunday, when Missouri came back from a six-run hole against Kentucky to tie the game (but lost 11-10 anyway), the Tigers don’t shy away from a big deficit. With six hits and a walk, they scraped together seven runs in the eighth that was capped off by a two-run Zach Hanna home run that tied the game at 13.
As soon as the Tigers summited the peak, the Hawkeyes knocked them back down. Tyler Cropley homered on Andy Toelken’s second pitch, making it 14-13 after eight innings. It wasn’t over though.
Missouri nabbed its first lead of the five-hour game in the ninth, when Tony Ortiz hit a sacrifice fly to tie the game again and Connor Brumfield doubled to make it 15-14 Tigers. It wasn’t over then either. Seeing a pattern?
Just as they did a frame earlier, the Hawkeyes hit a solo home run in the bottom of the ninth. Mitchell Boe’s homer to left — the second given up by Toelken — brought the game to another tie at 15-15.
Thanks to a one-out rally that contained RBI singles from Chris Cornelius and Trey Harris in the 11th, Missouri took its second lead of the game 17-15. This time, it kept it, despite another Iowa home run in the bottom half that cut the lead to 17-16.
This game obviously has some good and bad. Missouri gave up 16 runs, the most its surrendered in a game this season. The only pitcher of the seven who threw who didn’t give up a run was Montes de Oca. Ash couldn’t get more than three outs, and the depth of the bullpen is surely suspect.
But after being futile for so long, the Tigers’ bats have appeared to found life this past week. The Tigers scored more than ten runs twice against Kentucky last weekend, and the 17 runs they put up Tuesday were their most since Feburary 24 against Northeastern, more than three months ago.
All in all, this brain-twister of a win is number 30 for Missouri, as it’s now 30-15. MU has eclipsed the 30-win mark in each of the past two years after having a losing season in 2016. There is a long ways to go, but coach Steve Bieser appears to be right on track with his plan to change this program for the better.
The Tigers will now return home and host Georgia for a three-game set starting Thursday.
