Missouri scored three runs in the first inning and never trailed to defeat the Youngstown State baseball team 8-3 in the series opener at Taylor Stadium on Friday evening. Due to rain in Sunday's forecast, the teams will play a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 2 p.m. Eastern.

Nico Padovan led the Penguins with a pair of hits, and Lorenzi Arcuri and Billy Salem both doubled and drove in a run.

Zach Levy went 2-for-3 to lead Missouri, and he drove in five of Missouri's first six runs.

YSU had a chance to go up in the first inning as Arcuri led off with a double, and he went to third on Salem's ground out. Missouri starting pitcher Reggie McClain got Andrew Kendrick to bounce into a fielder's choice in which Arcuri was thrown out at the plate, and Trey Bridis lined out to center to end the inning.

Levy hit a two-out, two-run double in the first, and Missouri's third run in the inning came on an error. Levy's three-run homer in the sixth made the score 6-0.

YSU got on the board in the seventh when Shane Willoughby singled and scored on Ryan Cordova's RBI single. Missouri answered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning to go up 8-1, and YSU's final two runs came in the ninth on Arcuri's sacrifice fly and Salem's RBI double.

McClain allowed an unearned run on five hits and struck out five in seven innings to earn his third win for Missouri. YSU starter Joe King surrendered six runs, five of which were earned, in six innings.