Ole Miss Ends Mizzou's Season

CORAL GABLES, Fla. - The Mizzou baseball team saw its season come to an end, falling to Ole Miss, 9-6, at the NCAA Regional in Coral Gables, Fla. The Tigers end the 2008 season with a 39-21 record, reaching its six-straight NCAA Tournament.
After the two teams combined for just three hits and no runs in the first four innings of the game, the fifth inning saw eight runs scored on 10 hits.
Sophomore Greg Folgia led off the game by drawing a walk for Mizzou. Ole Miss starter Brett Bukvich then retired the next 13 Tigers that stepped to the plate before senior Dan Pietroburgo singled in the fifth for MU's first hit of the day.
The Tigers tallied five hits in the fifth inning, including an RBI single from junior Kyle Mach, a run-scoring double from Folgia and a two-run single by junior Ryan Lollis. Lollis would leave the game in the fifth inning after injuring himself when he stole second base.
Ole Miss answered with four runs of its own in the bottom of the fifth to knot the game at four, getting five hits in the inning, including three doubles.
The game remained tied until Ole Miss third baseman Cody Overbeck singled in the bottom of the seventh inning to drive in Fuller Smith with the go-ahead run.
Mizzou (39-21) scored twice in its half of the eighth inning, to take its first lead of the day. Senior Jacob Priday singled, stole second and scored on a base hit by Pietroburgo. After Pietroburgo was lifted for pinch runner Rex Meyr. Gray then reached safely on an infield single and Meyr scored all the way from second base to put the Tigers in front by a run.
However, Ole Miss (39-25) loaded the bases in the bottom of the eighth and Logan Power hit a grand slam, his second of the year, to put the Rebels ahead for good. Junior Ian Berger started for the Tigers and after giving up a lead off single to Jordan Henry in the first inning, he retired the next six Ole Miss batters, including striking out four straight at one point. Berger pitched four-plus innings, allowing four runs on seven hits. He struck out four and walked one.
Junior Ryan Allen came on in relief of Berger in the fifth inning and struck out a career-best six in three innings of work, allowing just one run on three hits.