First-base coach Dan Pietroburgo looks on as Mizzou falls behind 7-1 in the third inning against Kansas on Wednesday, April 6, 2011, at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Mo.

Missouri sophomore outfielder Blake Brown led off Wednesday night’s game with a single through the left side of the infield.

That would be the Tigers first and last hit of the game.

Mizzou scored in the top of the first inning, but that would not be indicative of how the Tiger offense would perform throughout the night in a game against rival Kansas on a big stage at Kauffman Stadium.

Kansas starter Thomas Taylor threw a gem against the Tigers on Wednesday night, going six innings and striking out a career-high nine batters. He allowed just one hit and one run en route to another dazzling outing at Kauffman. Wednesday was the second start of Taylor’s career at “The K.” In those two starts, he amassed 17 strikeouts while allowing just three hits and a run in 11.2 innings.

Taylor was untouchable against the Tigers on Wednesday.

But, it was hardly a one-man show, as while Taylor was mowing through the Mizzou lineup, the Jayhawk offense was hanging crooked numbers on Tiger pitching. They scored in each of the first three innings, including a pair of three-run innings in the second and third.

Freshman pitcher Myles Smith made his first career start for the Tigers, but he was quickly chased from the game in the second inning. He allowed four runs on the day, including a pair of KU tallies after he exited the game.

Smith’s successor, junior Jeff Emens, didn’t fare well either. He was touched up for five hits and three runs in just two-thirds of an inning. Mizzou couldn’t settle down the Kansas lineup until junior Dusty Ross entered in the game in the third inning. He’d throw three strong innings and put a stop to the Kansas scoring. The Jayhawks wouldn’t score again for the rest of the night.

Missouri’s offense remained stymied even after Taylor bowed out. A pair of Jayhawk relievers shut down the Tigers over the final three frames, and combined for four strikeouts with neither allowing a hit.

With the loss, Mizzou’s record dropped to 13-16 on the season. The Tigers result was the same as their Missouri counterparts earlier, as the Kansas City Royals fell in extra innings to the Chicago White Sox 10-7. Mizzou will start a three-game series against Oklahoma State in Oklahoma on Friday.