Pitchers go distance for Tigers

Missouri pitchers had no lack of energy on Sunday.

Freshman Aaron Crow threw his first complete game, allowing one run on six hits as the Tigers avoided elimination and beat the top-seeded Pepperdine Waves 4-1 Sunday in NCAA regional play in Malibu, Calif.

Crow (1-4) earned his first victory of the season, striking out three and walking none to give the Tigers back-to-back complete game efforts.

Earlier Sunday, Missouri eliminated UCLA when fellow freshman Rick Zagone threw a complete game in the Tigers’ 2-1 win over the Bruins.

The pair of victories advances Missouri to the title game of the double-elimination tournament. Top seed Pepperdine had defeated No. 4 seed Missouri in the regional opener on Friday.

The same two teams will meet today with the winner advancing to next weekend’s Super Regional.

In the win over Pepperdine, John McKee provided the final two runs in the sixth with his fourth home run of the season for Missouri (34-26).

James Johnson (6-2) took the loss for Pepperdine (42-20).

Zagone allowed one run on six hits against UCLA while striking out seven and Evan Frey singled home Brock Bond in the bottom of the seventh.

Bond went 1-for-2 and accounted for both Missouri runs after scoring in the fifth to tie the game at 1. Tim Stewart walked to lead off the second inning and scored the lone run for the Bruins (33-25).

Ryan Rohlinger had a season-high four hits, including a home run to start a four-run seventh inning, and John Brownell provided much-needed pitching relief help as Oklahoma beat Wichita State 12-7.

The teams will play again today for the right to advance to a super regional.

The Shockers (46-21) took an early lead against top-seeded Oklahoma (43-20) but couldn’t hold on, as the Sooners had 13 hits off six Wichita State pitchers. It was Oklahoma’s third straight win.

Beamer Weems hit a three-run home run in the third inning to help rally Baylor to a 7-2 win over Arizona State.

The Bears (37-25) will meet Rice in the championship game of the Houston Regional today.

The Sun Devils (37-21) took a 2-0 lead in the second inning when Baylor starter and winner Cory VanAllen (8-5) walked consecutive batters with the bases loaded. VanAllen quickly settled down and allowed only five hits and one earned run in 5 2-3 innings. Junior Jeff Mandel earned his eighth save of the year.

The Bears cut the Arizona State lead to 2-1 when Mike Pankratz hit a solo home run in the second inning. Baylor took the lead for good in the third on Weems’ homer. Baylor added three runs in the sixth inning with the aid of two Arizona State errors to open a 7-2 lead.

Jeff Urlaub (5-3) took the loss for Arizona State, which stranded 12 runners.