Houck hurls MU to win against Alabama

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - Missouri junior Tanner Houck pitched seven shutout innings and T.J. Sikkema struck out five batters in relief, extending the Tigers' win streak to 17 games with a 3-0 win against Alabama to open Southeastern Conference play.

The 17 consecutive wins is the longest active win streak in the NCAA.

"Well, I forgot about the 17 in a row," said Missouri coach Steve Bieser, who became the first Tigers baseball coach to win his conference opener since Gene McArtor in 1974. "Just really competed well tonight. Hits were hard to come by."

Houck allowed just one hit, a two-out double to Connor Short in the fifth inning. Houck finished with three walks and nine strikeouts while lowering his ERA to 1.86. He has pitched 212/3 consecutive innings without allowing an earned run.

Sikkema - who leads the SEC with 41 strikeouts - struck out five of the last six batters he faced to earn the save, extending his streak of scoreless innings to 232/3.

Missouri never trailed Friday, scoring a pair of runs in the top of the first inning. Brett Bond drew a bases-loaded walk to score Connor Brumfield and then Brian Sharp hit a sacrifice fly to score Robbie Glendinning, giving the Tigers a 2-0 lead.

Missouri added an insurance run in the ninth on a solo home run by Trey Harris, his third homer of the season, to give the Tigers a three-run cushion.

The Tigers finished with just three hits in the game, as Brumfield and Sharp each had one single in addition to Harris' home run. Missouri drew a total of 13 walks in the win, getting eight of them off Alabama starting pitcher Jake Walters.

"We did a good job of putting pressure on the other team all night," Bieser said. "Made them throw a lot of pitches. I thought the approach was good, we just have to relax in RBI situations and come up with a big hit."

Alabama managed just two hits, the fewest allowed by Missouri in an SEC game.

Missouri (17-1, 1-0 SEC) will play Alabama (10-8, 0-1 SEC) at 1 p.m. today in the second game of a three-game series.