Latest entries in Baseball live blog: Missouri vs. Kansas
The Maneater will be covering the Missouri/Kansas baseball game from Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Mo. Wednesday night.
April 22, 2009
Missouri loses 7-3
A 1-2-3 ninth was the final nail in the coffin for Missouri, which lost 7-3 to Kansas in a game that did not count toward Big 12 standings. Missouri dropped to 21-21 on the season, while Kansas improved to 27-14.
A two-out, three-run home run by KU first baseman Preston Land in the bottom of the sixth was the big blow for Missouri, as that home run gave Kansas a 5-3 lead they would not relinquish.
Missouri's offense never was able to generate a major scoring rally after the Land home run, as the lineup failed to register neither a hit nor a walk after the Land's blast until a two-out double in the ninth by Ryan Ampleman. The only other baserunner for Missouri after the sixth came on a dropped fly ball in the eighth.
Greg Folgia had two of Missouri's five hits and scored two of team's three runs.
KU breaks game open in eighth, will take four-run lead into ninth inning
A two-out, bases loaded single off Ryan Clark by KU's David Nardowski—his third hit of the game—plated two runs and gave Kansas a 7-3 lead heading into the ninth inning. Narwdowski was the first batter Clark faced after coming in to pitch for Ryan Gargano, who previously loaded the bases.
The back of the order is due up for Missouri—Steve Gray, Conner Mach, and Michael Liberto. It'll take a miraculous comeback by Missouri if they want to at least salvage a shot at extra innings at this point.
Tigers fail to capitalize on two-out defensive gaffe, held scoreless in eighth
Tough inning for Missouri. With two out, Trevor Coleman ended up on second base after KU LF Casey Lytle dropped a deep fly ball, but Kyle Mach lined out to right to end the inning.
Gargano will stay on for the bottom of the eighth for Missouri.
Gargano, Mach hold KU scoreless in bottom of the seventh
Missouri held KU scoreless in the bottom of the seventh despite a leadoff single by KU's David Nardowski. Two bunt attempts followed, and two outs were put on the board by Missouri. The first bunt was a sacrifice, but KU's Brian Heere attempted to bunt for a hit but was robbed of an infield single when MU 3B Kyle Mach made a spectacular barehanded play, getting Heere at first base by mere inches. Ryan Gargano then followed by striking out Buck Afenir to end the inning and KU scoring threat.
Tigers go quietly in seventh
Missouri was unable to respond to KU's four-run sixth, going down in order in the top of the seventh. Ryan Gargano is on to face the top of the KU order in the bottom of the inning. Holding KU scoreless in this inning would be huge with Missouri's 3-4-5 due up in the top of the eighth.
Clubb surrenders three-run homer, KU crowd sent into bedlam
Ryan Clubb almost did it. After allowing a leadoff triple to KU's Brian Heere, Clubb retired Buck Afenir and Tony Thompson—leaving Heere at third. With two out, however, Casey Lytle singled to right to bring home Heere, and after Clubb hit DH Jimmy Waters, he surrendered a three-run home run off the bat of KU's Preston Land. A chant of "rock, chalk, Jayhawk" from the KU contingency lasted for about two minutes afterwards.
5-3 KU heading to the top of the seventh. It'll be Michael Liberto, Austin Holt, and Ryan Lollis due up for Missouri.
Gray's RBI single gives Missouri 3-1 lead
Missouri capitalized on a leadoff bloop single by Greg Folgia when Steve Gray laced a line drive to left field, scoring Folgia and giving Missouri an all-important two-run lead.
Both sides of the crowd at Kauffman stadium let out a roar when the scoreboard showed that the Royals defeated the Cleveland Indians. So there. There IS common ground between these two fanbases.
KU once again held scoreless by Clubb
Missouri's slender one-run lead hasn't seemed to rattle Ryan Clubb on the mound so far. He's held KU scoreless in the last two innings and has looked very good doing it. KU's hitters are way off balance right now.
Clubb keeps KU scoreless in fourth
Almost as important as taking the lead was holding it for Missouri, and thanks to a nifty 3-6-3 double play, Missouri did just that in the bottom of the fourth.
Clubb hit Tony Thompson, who led off the inning, but was able to induce a ground ball to 1B Steve Gray, who fired to SS Michael Liberto and sprinted back to the bag to receive the throw from Liberto to complete the inning-ending double play. Missouri will hold a 2-1 lead heading to the top of the fifth.
Gutsy play by Coleman gives Missouri 2-1 lead
Steve Gray hit a grounder to second that looked like a sure double play, but Coleman who initially was at third, froze and did not run home on the play. When the throw from KU shorstop David Nardowski went slightly wide of the bag at first, Coleman ran home and beat a bad throw from KU 1B Preston Land.
Conner Mach and Michael Liberto each popped out to end the inning, but Missouri did carry some momentum over from the double play to take their first lead of the game.
Clubb will stay on the mound to begin the bottom of the inning. He threw well in an extended midweek outing last week against Indiana State, so he could be available to throw two, three, four, even five innings if needed.