Baseball Drops Opener at Cal Poly, 3-2

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. – Despite out-hitting Cal Poly and getting four scoreless innings from its bullpen, Missouri dropped a 3-2 opening-game decision to the host Mustangs Friday afternoon at Baggett Stadium.

The Cal Poly pitching tandem of Jakob Wright (1-0) and Tanner Sagouspe teamed up to strike out eight Tigers, while holding Mizzou to single tallies in the third and eighth innings. Wright worked into the seventh inning, finishing his day with five punchouts while scattering six hits and allowing just one run.

After the Mustangs scored single runs in the second, fourth and fifth frames to snap a 1-1 deadlock, Mizzou mounted a late charge, scoring a run in the eighth on a Jedier Hernandez RBI groundout. Tucker Moore, who logged a 2-for-4 afternoon in his debut game for the Tigers, drilled a leadoff double off the left-field wall to start the ninth, setting up a potential game-tying threat.

But Sagouspe promptly struck out back-to-back Mizzou batters, then coaxed a game-ending fly ball to right off the bat of Drew Culbertson to hand the Mustangs the win. Sagouspe fanned three hitters in his 2 1/3 frames to earn the save.

Tate Shimao led the Cal Poly charge at the plate, tripling and scoring in the second inning to open the scoring against Mizzou starter Bryce Mayer (0-1).

Wright would need little breathing room, allowing just two hits after a third-inning Mizzou rally briefly knotted the score at 1-1. Culbertson and Jackson Beaman started the inning with back-to-back singles, before Austin’s chopper to short plated the equalizing run.

But Shimao struck again an inning later to help turn the tide in Cal Poly’s favor for good. The sophomore designated hitter sparked the go-ahead rally by drawing a one-out walk before moving into scoring position on an errant pickoff attempt. Dylan Kordic snapped the 1-1 tie with a sacrifice fly to center, giving Cal Poly a lead it would hold for the duration of the game.

Mizzou left-hander Ian Lohse gave the Tigers a lift out of the bullpen, registering 3.0 scoreless innings following a scoreless frame by Nic Smith in the fifth. Lohse fanned Casey Murray with two on in the sixth to extinguish a Mustangs threat, then dispatched the final six Cal Poly hitters of the game to keep the Tigers within striking distance.

At the plate, the Tigers received a boost from a trio of freshmen—Culbertson (1-for-3), Moore (2-for-4) and Thomas Curry (1-for-3)—who combined to go 4-for-10 on the afternoon. Jackson Lovich added a two-hit performance as well to lead MU’s eight-hit attack.

The Tigers and Mustangs are slated to square off in game two of the twin bill at 8 p.m. (CST) Friday.