Ninth-inning meltdown dooms NU vs. Mizzou
COLUMBIA, Mo. - Nebraska pitchers couldn't find the plate in the ninth inning here Friday night, and apparently Jake Mullinax had a problem with third base.
Those navigational errors, along with another in right field by Daniel Bruce, left the 15th-ranked Huskers with a lump-in-the-throat, 3-2 loss to Missouri at Taylor Stadium.
Brad Flanders' bases-loaded single with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning provided the final margin and marked the fourth straight time in this series the victorious team won on its final at-bat.
But it was what happened in the top half of the ninth, and also in the fourth, when coach Mike Anderson was ejected, that left Nebraska so sour.
The Huskers, who dropped their third straight Big 12 Conference game for the first time since the 2000 season, had cut a 2-0 deficit in half when Alex Gordon drove an 0-1 pitch from Missouri starter Danny Hill to center for his 13th home run. Mullinax then drew a walk before Curtis Ledbetter ripped a double to the left-field wall that sent Mullinax home.
However, home plate umpire Ken McQueen, who had rotated up the third-base line, ruled that Mullinax missed the bag and called him out.
"I thought I hit it. I know I hit it," Mullinax said. "If Coach A is going to argue like that, he definitely knows. It's hard to accelerate off the dirt. I got a good push (rounding third). I just felt like I hit it in stride. I think their dugout kind of convinced (McQueen)."
Anderson argued vehemently with McQueen, pointing at the bag as if he could see Mullinax's footprint. Then, after Braden Keith grounded out to end the inning, Anderson continued to vent and got tossed.
"I guess he missed it substantially," said Missouri third baseman Jeremy Hernandez. "Even the ump kind of sat and waited around the bag. It must've been obvious."
Also obvious was how Hill and NU starter Zach Kroenke were dominating the game.
Mizzou's right-handed senior allowed just five hits in 72/3 innings, while the left-handed sophomore Kroenke gave up the same number of hits over eight innings.
But Kroenke, often backed by stellar defense, wasn't so lucky Friday.
In the second inning, he gave up a leadoff homer to Cody Ehlers, who launched a 3-1 pitch off the side of the indoor football practice building behind right field. It was only the second home run Kroenke had allowed this season.
Mike Rallo followed by singling to right, but he raced to third when Bruce slipped and let the ball get past him. One out later, Flanders lifted a sac fly to center for an unearned run that made it 2-0.
Nebraska still looked as if it would overcome its early struggles when Bruce singled off Taylor Parker to start a ninth inning in which the Huskers loaded the bases with no outs. Gordon walked on four pitches and the Tigers went to Nick Admire. Mullinax then laid down a bunt down the third-base line that Hernandez had to hold on to because Mizzou second baseman Zane Taylor was late covering first.
Ledbetter followed with a sac fly to left after fouling off a 1-2 pitch to tie the game. Keith then hit a liner up the middle that Admire was able to knock down and recover in time to throw to first for the second out. He then got pinch hitter Chad Steele to bounce out to shortstop.
"Braden hits a seed up the middle and the guy gets a glove on it. If that gets through, this game is blown open," Mullinax said.
Added Ledbetter, "We had chances. I had two pitches to hit and I just missed them."
Missouri needed just one delivery in the bottom half to produce the winning run.
Right-handed sophomore Brett Jensen, just in for Kroenke, walked Lee Laskowski on four pitches before NU's Rob Childress called on left-handed junior Jeremy Becker, who then walked Ehlers on five pitches. Rallo moved the runners over with a sacrifice before Becker intentionally walked Kyle Johnson to set up a force out at home.
Enter right-handed senior Mike Sillman, who fell behind Flanders 2-0 in the count before giving up a single past shortstop Joe Simokaitis on a 2-1 delivery.
"You go to Brett Jensen and Jeremy Becker," Childress said, "one thing you can count on is they're going to throw strikes. That's a tough way to lose."
Nebraska (25-8 overall and 6-4 in the Big 12) and Missouri (23-12-1, 3-7) square off again today at 2 p.m.
Reach Curt McKeever at 473-7441 or cmckeever@;journalstar.com.
Those navigational errors, along with another in right field by Daniel Bruce, left the 15th-ranked Huskers with a lump-in-the-throat, 3-2 loss to Missouri at Taylor Stadium.
Brad Flanders' bases-loaded single with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning provided the final margin and marked the fourth straight time in this series the victorious team won on its final at-bat.
But it was what happened in the top half of the ninth, and also in the fourth, when coach Mike Anderson was ejected, that left Nebraska so sour.
The Huskers, who dropped their third straight Big 12 Conference game for the first time since the 2000 season, had cut a 2-0 deficit in half when Alex Gordon drove an 0-1 pitch from Missouri starter Danny Hill to center for his 13th home run. Mullinax then drew a walk before Curtis Ledbetter ripped a double to the left-field wall that sent Mullinax home.
However, home plate umpire Ken McQueen, who had rotated up the third-base line, ruled that Mullinax missed the bag and called him out.
"I thought I hit it. I know I hit it," Mullinax said. "If Coach A is going to argue like that, he definitely knows. It's hard to accelerate off the dirt. I got a good push (rounding third). I just felt like I hit it in stride. I think their dugout kind of convinced (McQueen)."
Anderson argued vehemently with McQueen, pointing at the bag as if he could see Mullinax's footprint. Then, after Braden Keith grounded out to end the inning, Anderson continued to vent and got tossed.
"I guess he missed it substantially," said Missouri third baseman Jeremy Hernandez. "Even the ump kind of sat and waited around the bag. It must've been obvious."
Also obvious was how Hill and NU starter Zach Kroenke were dominating the game.
Mizzou's right-handed senior allowed just five hits in 72/3 innings, while the left-handed sophomore Kroenke gave up the same number of hits over eight innings.
But Kroenke, often backed by stellar defense, wasn't so lucky Friday.
In the second inning, he gave up a leadoff homer to Cody Ehlers, who launched a 3-1 pitch off the side of the indoor football practice building behind right field. It was only the second home run Kroenke had allowed this season.
Mike Rallo followed by singling to right, but he raced to third when Bruce slipped and let the ball get past him. One out later, Flanders lifted a sac fly to center for an unearned run that made it 2-0.
Nebraska still looked as if it would overcome its early struggles when Bruce singled off Taylor Parker to start a ninth inning in which the Huskers loaded the bases with no outs. Gordon walked on four pitches and the Tigers went to Nick Admire. Mullinax then laid down a bunt down the third-base line that Hernandez had to hold on to because Mizzou second baseman Zane Taylor was late covering first.
Ledbetter followed with a sac fly to left after fouling off a 1-2 pitch to tie the game. Keith then hit a liner up the middle that Admire was able to knock down and recover in time to throw to first for the second out. He then got pinch hitter Chad Steele to bounce out to shortstop.
"Braden hits a seed up the middle and the guy gets a glove on it. If that gets through, this game is blown open," Mullinax said.
Added Ledbetter, "We had chances. I had two pitches to hit and I just missed them."
Missouri needed just one delivery in the bottom half to produce the winning run.
Right-handed sophomore Brett Jensen, just in for Kroenke, walked Lee Laskowski on four pitches before NU's Rob Childress called on left-handed junior Jeremy Becker, who then walked Ehlers on five pitches. Rallo moved the runners over with a sacrifice before Becker intentionally walked Kyle Johnson to set up a force out at home.
Enter right-handed senior Mike Sillman, who fell behind Flanders 2-0 in the count before giving up a single past shortstop Joe Simokaitis on a 2-1 delivery.
"You go to Brett Jensen and Jeremy Becker," Childress said, "one thing you can count on is they're going to throw strikes. That's a tough way to lose."
Nebraska (25-8 overall and 6-4 in the Big 12) and Missouri (23-12-1, 3-7) square off again today at 2 p.m.
Reach Curt McKeever at 473-7441 or cmckeever@;journalstar.com.
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