Baseball loses fifth in a row

The Tigers were shut out by KU in Kansas City.

By Lenny Goldman

Published May 2, 2008

KANSAS CITY, Mo. ­—With the crisp glow of the world’s largest high definition television screen in center field, the Tigers failed to show much of their own flashiness against Kansas at Kauffman Stadium.

“We can’t seem to buy a run no matter what,” sophomore left fielder Aaron Senne said. “It’s a couple inches here and there that we just can’t get it. It just seems like it’s trickling down through the lineup right now.”

The Tigers were shut out 3-0 by the Jayhawks, and have now dropped five games in a row. But the loss will not count against their conference record, nor will it impact the Border War series.

“We got to get things figured out in a hurry,” coach Tim Jamieson said. “It just shows you what confidence does or doesn’t do. When you got it you’re playing real well, and when you don’t you have trouble winning baseball games, and that’s where we are right now.”

After giving up a solo home run to Kansas senior right fielder Ryne Price in the second inning, junior pitcher Ian Berger didn’t give up another run until he left the game in the eighth inning with runners on first and second and no one out. Freshman pitcher Nick Tepesch came in relief and allowed two runs to be scored off a single by senior left fielder John Allman.

“I was locating well. I got them to chase at some pitches,” Berger said. “That last inning, it was a crucial first batter walk, and then some runners scored. In the sixth and the seventh I walked to leadoff hitter, and I can’t be doing that.”

Berger, who has typically started on the weekends for Missouri, got the weekday start because junior pitcher Rick Zagone started Sunday’s game against Texas A&M.

“Berger has really struggled in conference his last two starts,” Jamieson said. “Zagone needed an opportunity, and it’s worked real well.”

Both of Missouri’s best two opportunities to score were ended by strikeouts. Freshman shortstop Andrew Thigpen watched strike three called with runners on first and second to end the fourth inning. Junior third baseman Kyle Mach took strike three with a man on second to conclude the seventh.

“It’s frustrating, and that’s part of what’s going on,” Jamieson said. “We’re not swinging at strikes, and we’re not hitting the steaks when we get them, and that’s the way the game is, but we’ll get it going, we’ll figure it out.”

The Tigers have scored only two runs in their last three games, so it’s going to take some more offense to get out of the losing streak.

“We just need to go out there and keep swinging and playing with a little more intensity,” Senne said. “You could say it’s a lack of focus or you can say it’s a lack of luck. I think it’s been a little bit of both.”