COLUMBIA - It was a quick turnaround.
Two days after turning in an ugly performance in a win against Arkansas State, Missouri baseball played one of its best games of the season in a 4-1 win Friday night, beating Mississippi State for the first time in program history. The Tigers are 18-5, 2-2 in the Southeastern Conference and 11-0 at home.
"We came in here, had a meeting the next day," said TJ Sikkema of the team's approach in getting past Wednesday's game against Arkansas State. "We looked over stuff and came together and realized that we're a better team than that. And as long as we do our best, then the outcome will be just like it was tonight."
Sikkema (2-0) pitched seven innings in his first start of the season and struck out seven on a walk and four hits in 85 pitches, and Andy Toelken picked up his first save of the season in two innings of two-hit relief. The two essentially switched spots in their starter/bullpen assignments, and head coach Steve Bieser said he will use their comfort and flexibility in outings to maximize the team's potential.
Friday night's opener was as close to realizing that potential as Missouri has come all season. Six different batters registered hits; Brett Bond went 3-for-3 with a walk and drove in two runs, Kameron Misner hit 3-for-4 and kept pace at the top of the SEC's runs scored leaderboard and Paul Gomez hit 2-for-4 in the 8-hole.
"I thought this was a complete game, as well as it could be played from all phases of the game," Bieser said. "We got some really good pitching and, really, I enjoyed watching the way we competed tonight. And that's what SEC play does, it brings out the best in you."
The Tigers drew two walks and struck out five times against Bulldogs' left-handed starter Konnor Pilkington, who before the game had a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 43-to-2, and forced him to throw 114 pitches in 5 innings of work.
Missouri chased one of Mississippi State's best starters early and got to see 48 pitches from one of the Bulldogs' top relievers Keegan James on the first night of the series.
Missouri struck first, plating two runs in the third inning. The Tigers are now 15-1 in games they score first. Three straight singles from Trey Harris, Misner and Bond scored Harris from second. It was emblematic of the aggressive style of ball Bieser wants to play, and Harris beat the throw in a headfirst slide by a matter of inches. Misner went to third on the throw and came home on a wild pitch.
"We like not so much taking risks but taking chances on close balls," Bond said. "We've got a few guys who can run and using the turf to our advantage, being fast, like I said we're just causing pressure, whether that's stealing bags or taking those chances with sac flies and bunts and whatnot."
Harris and Misner were the only players to score for the Tigers. In the seventh inning, Harris was hit by a pitch to lead off, his eighth of the season, and Misner reached on an infield single. Bond showed bunt for the first few pitches, trying to advance the runners, but Mississippi State's catcher Dustin Skelton tried to pick off Misner at first and freshman Josh Hatcher couldn't handle the throw, which advanced the runners. Bond changed his approach and roped a single into left to drive in Harris, and two batters later Bieser sacrificed Bond stealing to bring Misner home with an insurance run.
Today's game starts at 2 p.m. Missouri RHP Michael Plassmeyer (3-0, 2.81 ERA) will go for the series win against LHP Ethan Small (1-2, 3.04 ERA).