With the sun shining through a crisp autumn afternoon at Taylor Stadium, Mizzouri baseball opened its fall scrimmage against Bradley in sharp form. The Tigers controlled the game early and shut the door late to secure a 5-4 victory over the first nine-inning segment.
Here are the key takeaways and observations from the opening nine innings:
Brady Kehlenbrink Sets a Dominant Tone
If there was a headliner from the first half of the game, it was left-hander Brady Kehlenbrink.
Kehlenbrink delivered a strong two-inning start, striking out the
side in order in the top of the first inning before returning to rack up two more punchouts in the second. Armed with sharp command, Kehlenbrink retired all six batters he faced, striking five out of six hitters without allowing a baserunner. If Kehlenbrink maintains that kind of swing-and-miss efficiency, he will be a key player in Mizzou’s rotation plans come spring.
Ty Waid Launches Early Offense
Mizzou’s offense wasted zero time capitalizing on Kehlenbrink’s momentum in the bottom of the first inning.
After Cam Pruitt drew a lead-off walk, senior Ty Waid crushed a towering two-run home run to left field, giving the Tigers an immediate 2-0 lead. Waid, who drew two walks during the first nine frames to go along with his long shot, continues to project as one of Mizzou’s primary run producers.
Small Ball & Situational Execution
While Waid provided the early fireworks, Mizzou generated crucial insurance runs through disciplined situational hitting and small ball. Steve Solorzano reached on a third-base error and advanced on a Seojun Oh groundout before Khamaree Thomas delivered a clutch two-out RBI single up the middle.
In the fifth inning, Solorzano singled to kick off the frame before Oh and Thomas executed back-to-back sacrifice bunts to move runners into scoring position. Eric Maisonet then lofted a deep fly ball to allow Solorzano to tag up and score.
Pitching Staff Navigates the Ball Late
Six relief pitchers followed Kehlenbrink to close out the first block of the game. Dylan Curtis came out in the third, allowing one run on a single and a groundout, but minimized damage to keep the lead 2-1 Tigers.
Zach Van Hook tossed a scoreless inning in the fourth with a strikeout, leaving a runner stranded in scoring position after a steal. In the fifth, Stephen Lewis worked a clean frame with a strikeout and a popout following an opening single.
Luke Fricker surrendered a double and an RBI single in the sixth, but shut down the threat with a strikeout and a lineout. During the seventh inning Sam Rosand had an unearned run on an error and an RBI single before throwing a frame-ending groundout. Carter DeGonda shrugged off a lead-off hit-by-pitch and a single to post a scoreless eighth inning with two strikeouts.
Sam Schmidt was tasked with closing out the ninth, running into early trouble with a hit-by-pitch and two walks to load the bases. After a sacrifice fly trimmed the lead to 5-4, Schmidt locked in to strike out the final hitter and seal the opening-block victory before the break.
First Nine-Inning Stat Leaders
Waid went 1-for-2 with a 2-run home run, three walks, and 2 RBIs. Oh went 2-for-4 with a double, a successful sacrifice bunt and a walk. Thomas went 2-for-3 with an RBI single, a sacrifice bunt and a walk. Solorzano went 1-for-5 with two runs scored. Kehlenbrink delivered a dominant start, pitching two scoreless, hitless innings with five strikeouts. DeGonda pitched one scoreless inning with two strikeouts.
Mizzou will return to Taylor Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 24, for the Show-Me Diamond Duel supporting Special Olympics Missouri, featuring a fall exhibition doubleheader with games at 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.
