COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou baseball evened its series with Kentucky on Friday night with a 6-3 win, highlighted by a sensational start from freshman righty Tanner Houck (Collinsville, Ill.), who picked up his eighth win of the season. He was given the lead in the third inning as senior Jake Ivory (St. Charles, Mo.) – on his senior day – lifted a go-ahead, two-run homer over the wall in left to give Mizzou a lead it would not relinquish.
The Tigers also got a two-hit performance from Jake Ring (Ingleside, Ill.), who homered and tripled in the win. Mizzou goes to 29-24 on the season and 15-14 in SEC play while snapping a six-game skid. The win ensures the Tigers no less than a .500 record in SEC play.
Houck got into some trouble in the third inning, loading the bases with one out. He then induced a fielder’s choice off the bat of JaVon Shelby, plating a run for Kentucky, staking the Wildcats to a 1-0 lead after 2.5 innings. But Mizzou answered in its half of the third on Ivory’s Senior Day blast, a two-run shot off of UK starter Dustin Beggs over the wall in left. It was his fourth homer of the season.
Mizzou added to the lead on a two-out single by Zach Lavy (Auxvasse, Mo.) in the bottom of the fourth inning, scoring Ryan Howard (St. Charles, Mo.) who led off the frame with a double into the gap in left center. Kentucky got a run back in the top of the sixth on an RBI groundout by Storm Wilson. But Mizzou answered in its half of the sixth with a Jake Ring (Ingleside, Ill.) homer. It was his fourth of the season. Ring did it again in the eighth with an RBI triple, extending his team-leading extra-base hit total to 22. That made the score 5-2 and Mizzou added another run on an RBI single by Howard, giving Mizzou a 6-2 lead heading into the ninth.
After tossing a shutout eighth inning, junior closer Breckin Williams (Oronogo, Mo.) allowed a one-out, RBI double in the ninth, but that was all that UK could get off the Tiger closer, who picked up his school record 12th save of the season.
Mizzou will close the regular season Saturday at 1 p.m. against Kentucky.
— MU Sports Information —