NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Mizzou Baseball dropped the rubber game of a three-game series, 14-5, to Vanderbilt Sunday afternoon at Hawkins Field. Mizzou rallied from down 4-0 to take a 5-4 lead, but Vanderbilt hung three runs in the fourth, two more in the fifth and five in the sixth to put the game away. Mizzou falls to 29-20 on the year and 9-15 in SEC play while Vanderbilt improves to 29-18 and 12-11 in SEC play.
Mizzou junior starter Bryce Montes De Oca (Lawrence, Kan.) took the loss while Vandy freshman LHP Zach King earned the win after settling things down for a Vanderbilt staff that walked seven and hit three more batters through the first four innings. Junior C Brett Bond (St. Louis, Mo.) tallied his 13th multi-hit game of the season and drove in three of Mizzou’s five runs, notching a pair of bases-loaded singles on the day.
After a three-pitch strikeout, Jeren Kendall tagged Montes De Oca for a one-out triple in the bottom of the first, just past a diving Brian Sharp (Liberty, Mo.) at first base. Montes De Oca nearly escaped the jam, getting Julian Infante on strikes and working a 0-2 count on Reed Hayes. But Hayes lined a 1-2 pitch back up the middle to give Vanderbilt and early 1-0 lead.
Mizzou put the first two men on in the second and moved them over on a sacrifice bunt as it looked to even the game. Vandy starter Chandler Day then struck out Sharp and got Ian Nelson (Lake St. Louis, Mo.) to fly out to center field to strand a pair.
The wind factored into a tough second inning for the Tigers. Ethan Paul popped up to open the frame, but the wind hung it up and LF Kameron Misner (Poplar Bluff, Mo.) couldn’t get under it and that got the inning started. Vanderbilt loaded the bases with one out for the All-American Kendall. Montes De Oca struck him out for the second out of the inning as he looked like he may get out of the jam. Infante then popped up to shallow left center and Mizzou couldn’t get under it as the wind hung it in the perfect spot, allowing all three runs to score on a double.
Mizzou got a pair of runs in the third, one on a Bond bases loaded single and another on a Misner sacrifice fly to the cut the lead to 4-2. Mizzou got into the Vanderbilt bullpen in the third and that paid off in the fourth. Mizzou tallied three hits and drew three walks off reliever Colin Snyder to score three in the inning. Junior OF Johnny Balsamo (Kansas City, Mo.) tallied an RBI single and Bond roped a two-run, bases-loaded single to score two more, giving Mizzou its first lead at 5-4.
Vanderbilt tied the game in the bottom half of the fourth though, taking advantage of a walk and an error in front of a Hayes double. Mizzou went to the bullpen from there and brought in Andy Toelken (Green Cove Springs, Fla.). He struck out JJ Bleday for the second out by C Jason Delay ripped a two-run, two-out single to give Vanderbilt the lead back at 7-5.
Mizzou then went quietly in the fifth and Vanderbilt broke the game open with the two-spot in the bottom half before exploding for five runs in the sixth, capped by Infante’s sixth and seventh RBIs of the game as he ripped a double off the wall in left center. That was all that Vanderbilt needed to earn the series win.
Mizzou will be off midweek as it takes its final exams. South Carolina comes to Columbia next weekend for a three-game series beginning Friday at 6:30 p.m. at Taylor Stadium.
— Mizzou Athletics —