COLUMBIA, Ill. – SIUE dropped a 9-4 decision to Missouri Wednesday in nonconference baseball at Taylor Stadium.

Missouri (12-4) opened the scoring with three unearned runs in the second inning against SIUE starter Brendan Miller. An errant pickoff and an a throwing error on a groundball extended allowed a run to score and extended the inning to leadoff hitter Brett Peel. Peel lined a double to left to make it 3-0 Missouri.

The Cougars (3-9) got a run back in the fourth inning on an infield hit from Nick Lombardo.

Mizzou's Chris Akmon and Josh Lester each had two-run hits in the bottom of the inning to extend the Tigers' lead to 7-1. Miller (0-1) pitched 3 1/3 innings allowing seven run, four earned, on six hits. He walked three and struck out two.

Caleb Wilkerson relieved Miller in the fourth. He tossed 4 2/3 innings allowing two runs, one earned, on five hits. He struck out one and did not walk a batter.

"Caleb did a nice job tonight," SIUE Head Coach Tony Stoecklin said. "We needed him to step up and give us four good innings and he looked really good. He did a good job."

Dustin Woodcock drove home two runs with a single in the fifth inning to make it 7-3. Lombardo was then hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to make it 7-4.

Mizzou added two runs in the fifth for the final.

The Tigers used four pitchers to limit the Cougars to seven hits. Alec Rash started and pitched four innings. He allowed two runs on six hits. He struck out two.

Woodcock led the Cougars at the plate. He was 3 for 4 with the two RBIs. Lombardo was 1 for 4 with the two RBIs. Keaton Wright was 2 for 4.

"I don't think we were too far off our game. We faced some really good arms tonight," Stoecklin said. "I don't think our approach was terrible. We faced some good arms that nullified us."

The Cougars stranded 16 runners on base.

"We're going to score runs, we're going to be a good offensive teams," Stoecklin said. "The key to any good team is going to be pitching and defense. We had three errors and too many walks. We didn't get a lot of timely hitting tonight."

Peel and Brent Bond each had two hits for the Tigers.

SIUE will open the home season with a weekend Ohio Valley Conference series against Murray State. The Cougars and Racers will open the series with a  6 p.m. game Friday at Simmons Baseball Complex.