Starting pitcher Nick Petree is the Missouri State Bears' No. 1 starter, best player and the Louisville Slugger Player of the Year, but not even he was enough to drive the team past the UCF Knights in the opening game of the Coral Gables Regional. Petree threw a complete game on Friday night, but the Bears were unable to overcome the two runs that he gave up en route to a 2-1 loss.
The Knights got the scoring started early in the ballgame, when centerfielder Ronnie Richardson drove a solo homer to left field in the first inning. That was the first homer given up by Petree this season, and he would be able to quiet the Knights until the eighth inning. That was when Chris Taladay drove Robinson in with a bloop single to right to make the score 2-1.
Making matters worse for the Bears is that they had their shots to put more runs on the board, but they were unable to cash in. In the eighth inning they loaded the bases with no outs but did not plate a single run. Their lone run came in the seventh inning on a pinch hit double by Dylan Becker.
The Bears will face the Miami Hurricanes, who lost to the Stony Brook Seawolves 10-2 on Friday night, in the elimination game on Saturday afternoon.
For more on this series, stick with SB Nation St. Louis.
Starting pitcher Nick Petree is the Missouri State Bears' No. 1 starter, best player and the Louisville Slugger Player of the Year, but not even he was enough to drive the team past the UCF Knights in the opening game of the Coral Gables Regional. Petree threw a complete game on Friday night, but the Bears were unable to overcome the two runs that he gave up en route to a 2-1 loss.
The Knights got the scoring started early in the ballgame, when centerfielder Ronnie Richardson drove a solo homer to left field in the first inning. That was the first homer given up by Petree this season, and he would be able to quiet the Knights until the eighth inning. That was when Chris Taladay drove Robinson in with a bloop single to right to make the score 2-1.
Making matters worse for the Bears is that they had their shots to put more runs on the board, but they were unable to cash in. In the eighth inning they loaded the bases with no outs but did not plate a single run. Their lone run came in the seventh inning on a pinch hit double by Dylan Becker.
The Bears will face the Miami Hurricanes, who lost to the Stony Brook Seawolves 10-2 on Friday night, in the elimination game on Saturday afternoon.
For more on this series, stick with SB Nation St. Louis.