Missouri Hands SIUE Baseball Loss

COLUMBIA, Mo. – No. 18 Missouri proved too much for SIUE Wednesday night, as the Tigers defeated the Cougars 12-1 in nonconference baseball at Taylor Stadium.

The Cougars, who had won two straight coming into the game, dropped to 7-19 overall. Missouri, ranked 18th in the most recent D1baseball.com poll, improved to 22-7.

"It was tough treading," SIUE Head Coach Sean Lyons said. "We talked before the game about playing good, clean baseball; limiting walks and errors. At the end of the night we had given up nine walks and made two errors."

Seven Tiger pitchers limited SIUE to just six hits and struck out 13 Cougar hitters.

"(Missouri starter) Tyler LaPlante did a really nice job," Lyons said. "We have to be better in the quality of our at-bats. We had too many punch-outs."

LapLante was credited with the win, despite throwing only three innings. He did not allow a run, allowed only two hits and struck out six.

Missouri scored three times in the second inning to open the scoring. SIUE threatened in the bottom of the inning when Steven Pattan and Jordan Ross picked up back-to-back singles. The pair was left on base when the inning ended.

"We couldn't get that hit early and get some momentum going our way," Lyons said.

Pattan, who started behind the plate for the Cougars, led the way with two hits for SIUE.

"Pattan had a couple of nice at-bats," Lyons said. "He swung the bat well and that was good to see out of him."

The Tigers led 8-0 before the Cougars picked up their lone run in the sixth inning.

Brock Weimer accounted for SIUE's only run. With one out in the inning, Jared McCunn drilled a double to the right-center field gap. He moved to third on a wild pitch and scored when Weimer pulled a base hit through the left side of the infield.

SIUE starter David Llorens (0-3) tossed 2 2/3 innings. He allowed five runs on five hits and walked four.

"The electricity of his stuff was there," Lyons said. "But he struggled with command of his fastball."

Missouri right fielder Trey Harris was one of six Tigers with two hits. He homered and finished with three RBIs.

SIUE returns to road to Ohio Valley Conference play with a weekend series at Eastern Kentucky beginning Friday.