COLUMBIA, Mo. – Two errors led to four unearned runs in the third inning to snap Appalachian State University baseball's early momentum as it dropped Game Two, 7-1, on Saturday night at Taylor Stadium.
After a snow delay moved the game to 6 p.m. ET, the Mountaineers (6-8) got out to an early 1-0 lead but were unable to overcome defensive errors to a red-hot Tigers (14-1) club.
Appalachian got on the board for the first time this weekend as Brian Bauk took a pitch to the elbow before Chandler Seagle walked to set up the scoring play. Tyler Stroup then hit a chip shot to no-man's land in center field to drive home Bauk. Despite only bringing home the one run, the Black and Gold had much more productivity at the plate than in Game One.
After a scoreless half-inning, App State was held without a run and then 26th-ranked Missouri capitalized on errors in the third inning to retake and hold the lead until the end. While the Tigers have scored 11 runs total against Appalachian so far in the series, only five have been earned.
Seagle, Stroup and Avery Jackson led the way offensively for App State. Finishing a combined 3-8, with one RBI and a walk-drawn.
After having a game-high two hits (one double) on Friday, right-handed pitcher Colin Schmid had an impressive day, striking out six batters in 5.0 innings pitched. Despite the four, fourth-inning runs against him, none of them were earned. The Mountaineers went to the bullpen several times during the course of the second half of the game with the most effective throwers being Matt Schaeffer and Tristan Helms.
Schaeffer finished with an inning of work, striking out one before Helms came in to close, striking out four of five batters in 1.1 innings and allowing neither a run nor a hit.
The Mountaineers will conclude the weekend series on Sunday, March 12 with first pitch being scheduled for 2 p.m. eastern. As are all the games this weekend, Game Three will be broadcast live on the SEC Network + and can be streamed online on WatchESPN and the WatchESPN app.
