Missouri Tigers Baseball Drops Weekday Game To UALR

The 2015 Mizzou baseball team is one of the better ones in recent memory. The team is off to their best start since 2008, and are ranked second in arguably the toughest division: the SEC East. The Tigers are ranked No. 14 in the country, and their overall record is 24-13 and 10-5 in conference.

They have had no problem showing on the weekend (aside from the home-opener dud against UW-Milwaukee) as they have won series against perennial SEC powers South Carolina, Florida, and Tennessee and are one of two teams to win at No. 2 Texas A&M.

There’s just something about the weekday games that cause this Tigers team to not play up to their standard. Yesterday was an example of that as they lost to the University of Arkansas Little Rock at Taylor Stadium 4-3.

UALR is now 13-19 and they now have by far their best victory of their season under first year coach Chris Curry. This team lost at Oklahoma 22-0 in early March and now they’ve beaten the No. 14 team in the country.

John Miles was on the mound and pitched a pretty good game, but a late collapse gave the loss to closer Breckin Williams.

The Trojans got on the board in the first with some help from the Tigers. Second baseman Brett Peel couldn’t handle a sharp grounder, and two hits later they score the first run of the game.

Jake Ring gets ready for a pitch from the UALR pitcher in the bottom of the first on Tuesday, April 14th, 2015. Ring and the Missouri Tigers dropped the contest to UALR 4-3.

Mizzou had a golden opportunity in the second by drawing two walks, but they couldn’t cash in as they flew out three times. The Tigers didn’t get their first hit until the fourth when Josh Lester hit a ball past first and doubled, he advanced to third on an error by the right fielder. Trey Harris drove him in on a sac fly to even the score.

Peel redeemed himself in the sixth with an infield single and came around and scored on Jake Ring’s single. An awful pickoff attempt by the Trojan catcher allowed Ring to later score. The Tigers led 3-1 after six.

A double in the seventh gave another run to UALR and, after reliever Austin Tribby got in a jam in the eighth, Williams entered the game, With two on and two out, a base hit slipped by Lester at third and tied the game.

Ring doubled with two outs in the bottom of the eigth, but the Tigers couldn’t put together a clutch two-out hit, and stranded Ring at second.

Williams gave up the dreaded leadoff single in the ninth, and two batters later, a bloop single gave UALR a runner in scoring position. That was followed with another single and the Trojans took the lead back. A nice play by Ryan Howard at shortstop kept the defict at one.

The Tigers had a great chance to tie it in the ninth with their backs against the wall. Harris hit a one-out single and Zach Lavy followed, advancing Harris to third. That was the closest they would get though, as they again couldn’t capitalize with a runner in scoring position. UALR escaped Taylor Stadium with a 4-3 victory.

I get it, this team cares much more about the weekend SEC series and they probably should. However, there is no excuse for losing to teams like Air Force, Arkansas Pine-Bluff, and now UALR like they have on the weekdays.

Aside from catcher Brett Bond who’s out with an injury, this is pretty much the same lineup they use in SEC play. John Miles is a more than capable starter who can pitch those types of series. Maybe it’s a lack of motivation, but they should use these series as tune-ups for the weekend ones.

Missouri hopes to right the ship on Friday when they open a three game series at home versus Alabama. That series is followed by another weekday game against in-state rival Missouri State next Tuesday. Tiger fans hope their team will get up for that one as the Bears are ranked No. 15 in the country.