Trojans Come Up Short in 11-8 Loss to #5 Missouri

COLUMBIA, Mo. – On a cool, blustery evening, Little Rock baseball fell 11-8 to No. 5 Missouri on Tuesday night at Taylor Stadium.
 
Cale Ridling was Little Rock's top hitter as he went 2 for 4 with a double and a walk. Danny Mitchell Jr. went 1 for 3 with a triple, an RBI, two runs and a walk. Hunter Owens and Cameron Knight had an RBI, a hit and a run each while Christian Reyes had a hit and a run.
 
Little Rock outhit Missouri 7-6 — the Tigers' second-fewest hits this season. However, the Trojans allowed a season-high 11 walks compared to the Tigers' five.
 
"It's frustrating because it's the second straight Tuesday performance where we never gave ourselves a chance to win the game," head coach Chris Curry said. "I'd like to think the outcome could have been different. We held the No. 5 team in the country that's hitting .318 to six hits, and they still score 11 runs. That means one thing — you're helping set the table for their big innings."
 
Mizzou began the game with a six-run first inning with just three hits as the Trojans allowed four walks.
 
After a scoreless second inning, the Tigers scored another two runs in the bottom of the third inning as Little Rock walked four, hit a batter and committed an error.
 
The Trojans broke up the shutout in the top of the fourth with four runs on three hits and a Missouri error. With one out, Ridling doubled for his second hit of the game and advanced to third on a wild pitch. An RBI single to third by Owens scored Ridling for Little Rock's first run. After Knight singled through the right side, Kale Emshoff walked to load the bases. Bryce Dimitroff was then hit with an 0-2 fastball to bring Owens home. Mitchell hit to short with two outs, but an errant throw allowed Emshoff and Knight to score and cut Mizzou's lead in half at 8-4.
 
Little Rock had its first solid defensive performance of the night in the bottom of the fourth as Jacob Rateliff made short work of Mizzou's batters. The senior earned a ground out, a strikeout and a fly out to end the inning.
 
Missouri upped its lead to 11-4 in the bottom of the fifth. After Connor Brumfield got on with a leadoff walk, Robbie Glendinning hit an RBI triple to the wall in right. Brett Bond drove in Glendinning with a one-out infield single. With runners in scoring position, Brian Sharp hit a sac fly to center to score Bond.
 
Trojan reliever Zach Ours had a successful outing as he came on in the bottom of the fifth with one out. Little Rock's lone Missouri native recorded a strikeout to end the fifth before getting two fly outs and a pop up to put away the sixth.
 
With one out and runners on the corners in the top of the seventh, pinch hitter Ty Gunter earned an RBI on a sac fly to left center as Mitchell scored. With the bases juiced after Owens walked, Knight walked with a 3-2 count to bring Reyes home.
 
The Trojans cut the Tigers' lead to 11-8 in the top of the eighth. With Dimitroff on first and one out, Mitchell tripled to right to plate Dimitroff. Mitchell then scored on a throwing error as the ball was thrown into Missouri's dugout.
 
Joe Corbett tossed two scoreless innings in the seventh and eighth as he picked up a strikeout and allowed just one hit.
 
Down by three entering the ninth, Little Rock had no answers for Mizzou closer Brian Sharp as a ground out, a foul out and a fly out ended the game.
 
Bryce Montes De Oca (2-0) took the win for Missouri in four innings of work as he struck out four and allowed four runs (two earned) on four hits and a walk. Trojan starter Carter Brown (1-1) took the loss after allowing three runs on three walks.
 
"On the flip side, I thought we did a great job of getting a first-round type arm out of the game in the fourth inning with being disciplined in the strike zone and giving ourselves great at-bats," Curry said. "The heart and effort is there, but that's just the foundation. We have to come to the park and eliminate the ways that we're getting ourselves beaten."
 
Little Rock will begin a three-game Sun Belt series at ULM on Friday at 6 p.m.