COLUMBIA - Missouri baseball did a lot right at the plate Friday against Alabama without runners on, but a few baserunning miscues and the lack of timely hitting hurt in a 2-1 series-opening loss at Taylor Stadium.
The 22nd-ranked Tigers racked up 13 hits but were just 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position at the plate. Brian Sharp, who hit 3-for-4, slipped on the turf and was picked off in the first inning and Kameron Misner, who was 2-for-4, was caught stealing in the eighth inning after a leadoff single.
"When you put those hits together and can't score more than one run, that was frustrating," head coach Steve Bieser said. "Some of the approaches we had when we had runners in scoring position were frustrating. A lot of times in this game you don't always win the game but you do lose the game and I think that's what we did today, we found ways to lose."
TJ Sikkema (2-2) threw six innings and gave up six hits, two walks and two earned runs with six strikeouts. He only allowed multiple baserunners in the second and fifth innings, but that second inning was where the Crimson Tide did their damage.
Sikkema bookended a Hunter Alexander double with two flyouts, but gave up three straight singles with two away to Sam Praytor, Jett Manning and Kyle Kaufman, the bottom of the Alabama order. All of Alabama's base-runners - seven from hits and two from walks - reached with at least one out.
"Four hits together in one inning against TJ is pretty uncommon," Bieser said, "and the same message I shared with him before the game (like all of) our starting pitchers is, 'We're going to make somebody put together three or four hits in an inning to score, and they did it."
Missouri (22-8, 5-5 SEC) scored its lone run in the fourth inning. Misner led off with a single and was running on Sharp's swing that sent a single into right. Brett Bond struck out and then Zach Hanna drove in Misner on a single to right, which allowed Sharp to take third. But Mark Vierling hit a ball right at the shortstop, Manning, and a double play ended the inning.
The Tigers hit into three double plays in the game, and Manning finished with 10 of Alabama's 17 assists. The ball found its way into his glove more often than not, and the game ended fittingly on a 6-3 putout with a Missouri runner in scoring position. Missouri might have hit into a fourth if not for an awkward exchange between Manning and second baseman Chandler Avant and a hard slide from Alex Samples broke up the play at second in the fifth inning.
"We got a lot of hits, but when that happened we weren't ready to take advantage and jump on the fastball and really move the guys around," said shortstop Chris Cornelius, who also hit 3-for-4.
Jordan Gubelman threw 1 innings of scoreless relief, Tyler LaPlante was used in spot relief for an out and Nile Ball pitched a perfect ninth in six pitches to keep Missouri within a run, but to no avail.
Today's game is scheduled for a 1 p.m. start, and there is a chance that Sunday's 1 p.m. game could be folded into a doubleheader today because of weather.