HOOVER, Ala. – Mizzou junior INF Robbie Glendinning (Scarborough, Australia) hit a go-ahead grand slam in the top of the fourth inning as he helped Mizzou Baseball topple Texas A&M, 12-7, in the SEC Tournament opener for both teams Tuesday afternoon at Hoover Met Stadium. Mizzou got homers from three different players and scored in six of the first seven innings with multiple runs in three. The win advances Mizzou to the second round of the tournament for just the second time as it will play LSU Wednesday at approximately 4:30 p.m.
The win moves Mizzou to 36-21 on the year, the most wins for a Mizzou team since 2008 (39). Most importantly, it was another RPI top-50 win for Mizzou as it continues to make a push towards an NCAA Regional berth. Junior 1B Matt Berler (Hoover, Ala.) hit a two-run, game-tying homer in his hometown and Chris Cornelius (St. Louis, Mo.) also homered as Mizzou scored its most runs ever in the SEC Tournament and its most runs in a conference tournament game since 2012 when it run-ruled Kansas, 13-2.
Mizzou sent seven men to the plate in the first inning and scored a pair of runs, one on a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch for DH Trey Harris (Powder Springs, Ga.) and another on an RBI groundout to first by freshman LF Kameron Misner (Poplar Bluff, Mo.).
Mizzou starter Tanner Houck (Collinsville, Ill.) came to the mound and SEC Freshman of the Year Braden Shewmake blooped an RBI single into center to cut Mizzou’s lead to 2-1. That was just the beginning as the Aggies hung four runs on three hits, taking advantage of a walk and a hit batter as well. The big hit was two-out, two-run single into left by LF Cam Blake to break the 2-2 tie.
Alex Samples (Bridgeport, Texas) led off the second inning with a walk, forcing the Aggies to the bullpen in favor Kaylor Chafin. Berler, a Hoover native, then launched a 0-1 pitch over the wall in left center for his second homer of the year, tying the game at 2-2. Both of his homers have come in the last four games and have either tied the game or given Mizzou the lead.
Mizzou put two men on in the third inning, but lacked the clutch hit to bring in the go-ahead run. Houck again ran into trouble in the third, hitting the leadoff man and allowing a single to Blake Kopetsky to put two men on with no outs. Both those runs came in on a base hit by Blake and a sacrifice bunt by SS Austin Homan to put the Aggies up, 6-4.
Berler was again part of a run-scoring inning in the fourth, drawing a leadoff walk. Mizzou loaded the bases with no outs for Glendinning. He worked a 3-1 count and went the opposite way for a grand slam to give Mizzou the lead back at 8-6. It was the first grand slam in the SEC Tournament since 2011 and Mizzou’s second in four games. It was Glendinning’s seventh homer of the year.
After Houck worked a 1-2-3 inning in the fourth, Cornelius hit a solo homer, his second of the year, to give Mizzou a 9-6 lead. The Tigers added another run on an error with two outs to take a 10-6 lead.
Texas A&M got a run back in the bottom of the fifth on an RBI groundout to second base, but that was all despite loading the bases with one out. Junior RHP Andy Toelken (Green Cove Springs, Fla.) relieved Houck after 4.1 and inherited a runners-on-the-corner jam with just one run.
Mizzou tacked on another run on a Harris RBI single following a Brett Bond (St. Louis, Mo.) double in the top of the sixth inning. After Toelken retired the first two batters in the bottom of the sixth inning, Shewmake hit a double and then rain and lightning delayed the game for one hour and 47 minutes. Toelken retired the first batter following the break to send the game through the sixth.
Glendinning drove in his fifth run of the game in the top of the seventh inning, an RBI single up the middle, as he reset his career-high in RBI. Toelken was masterful after the rain delay as he shut the game down and secured the win for Mizzou.
— Mizzou Athletics —