The Mizzou baseball team capped off their series against the Youngstown State Penguins with a Saturday doubleheader and dropped both games by final scores of 4-3 and 3-2, respectively.
In the first game, Tanner Houck pitched his fourth start of the season, finishing with eight strikeouts, three hits and one walk through six innings in a no-decision.
Missouri and Youngstown State both scored a run through the first three innings of play and were tied at one going into the eighth inning.
After the Penguins took the lead in the top half of the inning, Missouri struck back in the bottom half to take the lead 3-2 off of an RBI double by Zach Lavy and an RBI single by Brian Sharp.
Youngstown State ensued to get an RBI single and a sacrifice fly in the ninth to close out game one by a final of 4-3.
Game two of the doubleheader was essentially all Penguins. The Tigers had Austin Tribby on the mound and he gave up two runs in the first inning to give the Penguins an early 2-0 advantage.
The Tiger offense, which was cold for a majority of the nightcap, got back one of those runs in the bottom of the second off of a throwing error by YSU third baseman Nico Padovan, which allowed Brett Bond to score, cutting the deficit to 2-1.
Trey Harris helped the Tigers draw closer to the Penguins as he ripped an RBI single into right field to cut bring Mizzou within one run.
As the rain started to pour, the game drew closer to an end. In the ninth inning, Johnny Balsamo smacked his first Division I hit to lead off the inning. Balsamo moved to second off of a sacrifice bunt and Ryan Howard was up next for Mizzou. The junior could not deliver as he lined into a double play to end the game.
With the losses, Missouri falls to 13-5. Missouri has lost three of their last four games played in a doubleheader. This is the first series of the season that Missouri has lost.
Up next for the Tigers is a two game series that begins on Tuesday at 6 p.m. against the Southeast Missouri State Redhawks. The Tigers will begin conference play at Florida on Friday.
Photo credit: The Maneater