After dropping the first game of a home-and-home series to Missouri, Missouri State bounced back in a big way, shutting out the Tigers 11-0 in seven innings Tuesday in Springfield.
The Tigers had two pitchers make their season debuts Tuesday: starter Sam Horn and reliever Josh McDevitt. Horn, who hadn’t pitched since his freshman year, opened the game with a strong eight-pitch inning and touched 96 mph before being replaced by McDevitt.
Sam Horn’s final line: 1 IP, 1 H, 0ER, 0 BB, 1 K, 8-6 (Total pitches-Strikes)
The scoring started for the Bears in the second inning. Making his season debut after recovering from an injury, McDevitt gave up back-to-back singles to open the frame. An RBI double brought home Missouri State’s first run, and an RBI groundout from the next batter made it 2-0.
The Bears kept rolling after head coach Kerrick Jackson pulled McDevitt, scoring two more runs in the third off Tony Neubeck and adding three in the fourth against junior Brock Lucas. By the end of the fourth inning, Missouri State held a commanding 7-0 lead.
The Bears didn’t strike again until the seventh, when Missouri pitcher Josh Kirchoff returned for a second inning of work. After allowing just one hit in his first inning, Kirchoff walked the leadoff batter, then gave up back-to-back hits that scored two runs. A two-run homer ended the game via run rule, giving Missouri State the 11-0 win.
The Tigers' offense was virtually nonexistent all game. After a one-out single from Tyler Macon in the second and a two-out single from Keegan Knutson later in the inning, Missouri went hitless over the next three frames. Their third and final hit came in the seventh, when Brock Daniels beat out an infield single.
The Tigers drew two walks in addition to their three hits, but none of it resulted in any runs. It marked one of Missouri’s worst offensive performances of the season. The Tigers had only been shut out twice prior to Tuesday, most recently in the season opener against Penn State.
Only two Missouri hitters reached base more than once: Jackson Lovich, who went 0-for-1 with two walks, and Brock Daniels, who reached on an infield single and a hit-by-pitch. Outside of them, the Tigers couldn’t generate anything offensively, with just one runner advancing as far as second base all game.
McDevitt (0-1) took the loss in his season debut, while Missouri State’s Max Knight (3-2) earned the win.
The Tigers will look for their first SEC win this weekend as they travel to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, for a three-game series against Alabama. The series begins at 7 p.m. Thursday.