AUBURN, Ala. – No. 22 Mizzou Baseball earned its first road series win over a ranked opponent since 2016 with a 5-0 Easter Sunday (April 1) win over No. 16 Auburn at Plainsman Park. Senior OF Trey Harris (Powder Springs, Ga.) hit a go-ahead grand slam, his second of the season, in the top of the fifth inning to back a tremendous start by RS junior Bryce Montes De Oca (Lawrence, Kan.). Mizzou has won two of its three SEC series this season and four of its last five dating back to last season.
Montes De Oca improved to 4-1 on the season after allowing just one hit over 6.0 shutout innings, striking out five and walking four. Auburn starter Tanner Burns took the loss, falling to 2-4 on the year.
Harris drove in five runs, one off a career-high, with four coming on the grand slam, which was Mizzou’s first hit of the game. Mizzou’s pitching staff threw a one-hitter in the win.
Mizzou is now 21-7 and 5-4 in SEC play and is tied for fourth in the league standings through three weeks of action.
TURNING POINT
Mizzou got a fifth-inning rally started as a key error by Auburn 2B Luke Jarvis played a big part in Mizzou breaking a 0-0 tie. Senior 3B Alex Samples (Bridgeport, Texas) and freshman OF Cade Bormet(San Antonio, Texas) drew back-to-back two-out walks to turn the lineup over to the leadoff man Harris. After Harris took a curveball to lead off his at-bat, Auburn starter Tanner Burns threw him a 0-1 fastball and Harris turned on it, sending it over the green monster in left field for the go-ahead grand slam.
It was Mizzou’s first hit of the game and all four runs were unearned as the error set up the big inning. It was Harris’ second grand slam of the season.
QUOTING MIZZOU
Head Coach Steve Bieser:
“Hits were tough to come by early in the game. Both pitchers had great stuff going – they were throwing the ball well. We just had to hang in there and we put all of that together and Trey came up with the big blow and got us into a situation we felt really good about.”
On the series win…
“I’m really happy with our effort and it is a big series win for us. What we talked about postgame was the reason that we are here in this position is what we have done up to this point. We can’t take anything for granted. We have to continue to work hard and know that each series is its own challenge. We have tough travel back in – we’ll get home late tonight and we have to start next week. We have five games sitting in front of us and it is going to be very challenging. We have to enjoy the moment right now, but we have to get ready to go next week.”
TOP TIGERS
- Senior OF Trey Harris (Powder Springs, Ga.) hit a go-ahead, two-out grand slam in the top of the fifth inning. It was his second homer of the series and he has now reached base in a career-best 20- consecutive games. It was Harris’ second grand slam of the season and first since Feb. 28 vs. Alabama A&M. Harris drove in five runs Sunday, the second-most he’s had this season (six vs. Alabama A&M).
- RS junior RHP Bryce Montes De Oca (Lawrence, Kan.) went 6.0 shutout innings and allowed just one hit while striking out five in his fourth win of the season.
- Junior RHP Nile Ball (Decatur, Ga.) tallied his fourth save of the season, pitching the final 3.0 innings, allowing no hits with a season-high four strikeouts.
NOTES
- Mizzou now leads the all-time series with Auburn, 12-5, and has won all five three-game series that it has ever played against Auburn.
- Mizzou improves to 3-3 on Sundays.
- Mizzou improves to 2-1 in rubber games this season.
- Mizzou is now 13-5 in three-game series this season.
- Mizzou improves to 6-4 in road games this season and 8-6 in games away from home.
- Senior OF Trey Harris walked to lead off the game, extending his career-best streak to 20 consecutive games reaching base safely. When leading off an inning, Harris has reached in 14 of 30 opportunities (.467).
- Mizzou has now won two of three SEC series this season, marking the first time since 2015 that Mizzou has won two of its first three SEC series.
- Mizzou has now won four of its last five SEC weekend series dating back to last season.
- Mizzou earned its first road series win over a ranked team since downing then No. 15 Arkansas from April 1-3, 2016.
- Mizzou earned its first SEC shutout since May 19, 2017, in a 5-0 win at Tennessee. It was Mizzou’s fifth shutout this season.
- Sophomore CF Kameron Misner drew his SEC-leading 32nd walk of the season in the seventh inning.
- Senior C Brett Bond turned in his ninth multi-hit game of the season.
- Mizzou was the only SEC road team to win a series this weekend.
UP NEXT
Mizzou will be back in action Tuesday, playing in-state foe Missouri State at Busch Stadium, home of Major League Baseball’s St. Louis Cardinals. First pitch for that game is at 6:30 p.m.
— Mizzou Athletics —