COLUMBIA, Mo. – Despite jumping out to a 4-3 lead after three innings, Mizzou Baseball dropped its series opener against No. 20 Georgia, 10-6, Thursday night at Taylor Stadium. Junior Brian Sharphomered to lead off the game, his sixth of the season and third in the last six games, as he continued his hot play as of late, but it wasn’t enough as Georgia got its bats going from the fifth inning on, outscoring Mizzou 7-2 in that span.
UGA 1B Adam Sasser hit three homers, including a go-ahead grand slam in the fifth inning off Mizzou starter T.J. Sikkema, who took the loss, falling to 3-5 on the year. He surrendered eight runs on 11 hits over 4.0+ innings of work.
Georgia starter Chase Adkins earned the win, his fifth of the year. He went 6.0 innings and allowed four runs on nine hits.
The night featured a scary moment as Mizzou freshman RF Cade Bormet slid head first into the wall in right field while chasing a foul ball. He was carted off the field by the medial staff and taken to University Hospital where he is in stable condition. Bormet will be kept overnight for more tests and evaluation and has some bumps and bruises, but he is going to be okay.
TURNING POINT
Mizzou grabbed a 4-3 lead with a three-run third inning, thanks to RBI singles from Brian Sharp, Trey Harris and Tony Ortiz. Sikkema pitched out of a runners-on-the-corners, no-out spot in the fourth inning, but after he put himself in the same situation in the fifth, Georgia made him pay. After an RBI single by Michael Curry, 1B Adam Sasser hit a go-ahead grand slam, putting the Dawgs on top, 8-4.
QUOTING MIZZOU
Head Coach Steve Bieser
On regrouping the team after Bormet’s injury in right field…
“I think it really is tough get back focused after something like that. I don’t want to make any excuses for our team, but I know that some guys were shaken based on the fact that it was a serious incident. Some guys took it pretty tough – T.J. was probably one of those guys.”
TOP TIGERS
- Junior 2B Brian Sharp continued his hot play, going 2-for-5 with two runs, two RBI and his sixth homer of the year. Over his last six games, Sharp is hitting 15-for-27 with 13 runs, nine RBI and three homers.
- Junior 1B Tony Ortiz tallied his second multi-hit game of the season and tallied a go-ahead RBI. He has RBIs in three straight games.
- Junior LF Zach Hanna hit his sixth homer of the year and has homered in back-to-back games.
- Freshman RHP Cameron Pferrer was good over 1.1 shutout innings, allowing just one hit while striking out two. He inherited a bases-loaded jam and pitched out of it as well.
- RHP Cameron Dulle tossed a shutout eighth inning, his second consecutive shutout inning after doing the same at Iowa.
- Senior Trey Harris had an RBI single in the third inning and not has 12 RBI in his career against Georgia.
NOTES
- Despite the loss, Mizzou still leads the all-time series with Georgia, 9-7.
- Mizzou falls to 1-1 on Thursdays.
- Mizzou falls to 17-15 in three-game series this season.
- Mizzou falls to 19-5 at home this season.
- With Brian Sharp’s homer to open the game, Mizzou got its first leadoff homer since Trey Harris on March 30, 2018, at Auburn off Casey Mize.
UP NEXT
Mizzou and Georgia will play game two of the series Friday at 6:30 p.m.
— MWSU Athletics —