COLUMBIA, S.C. – Mizzou Baseball scored five runs over the fifth and sixth innings as it rallied to defeat South Carolina, 5-3, Friday night in the opener of a three-game series. It was Mizzou’s first ever win at Carolina’s Founders Park and Mizzou’s 14th over an RPI top-50 team this season. The Tigers snap a three-game skid and improve to 31-18 and 10-15 in SEC play.
Mizzou senior reliever RHP Andy Toelken earned the win, his fifth of the season. He entered the game with the bases loaded and two outs in the fifth inning as Mizzou was clinging to a 3-1 lead. He struck out the first batter he faced and wound up pitching 3.1 innings, allowing two runs on four hits with four strikeouts. Junior RHP Nile Ball earned his sixth save of the season.
South Carolina starter Logan Chapman took the loss as he falls to 3-1 on the year. The Gamecocks fall to 28-21 on the year and 13-12 in league games.
TURNING POINT
It was a typical Friday night SEC pitcher’s duel for the first South Carolina took advantage of a two-out RBI single by L.T. Tolbert as he dropped a 0-2 pitch into left center to score Jonah Bride from second base. Bride hit a one-out double earlier in the frame, also on a 0-2 pitch. Mizzou starter LHP T.J. Sikkema limited the damage by stranding a pair, but Carolina took the lead after that frame.
Mizzou countered in the next half inning as the bottom of the order got a rally going. Connor Brumfield walked to open the frame and Alex Samples singled. After a sacrifice bunt from nine-hole man Chris Cornelius, leadoff man Brian Sharp roped a two-run single on the first pitch thrown by reliever Eddie Demurias to put Mizzou on top, 2-1. Brett Bond added another RBI single as Mizzou took a 3-1 lead at the midway point.
South Carolina countered by getting the first two men on aboard vs. Sikkema in the bottom of the fifth inning. The Mizzou starter then struck out two-hole man Carlos Cortes and three-hole hitter Madison Stokes. He walked the bases loaded and head coach Steve Bieser went to the bullpen for senior RHP Andy Toelken. He struck out Justin Row on the 10th pitch of the at-bat to strand the bases loaded.
Sophomore SS Chris Cornelius hit a two-run single in the next inning as Mizzou pulled away.
QUOTING MIZZOU
Head Coach Steve Bieser
Opening Statement…
“Well played game on both sides. Very competitive. Just like we thought on Friday night. A couple guys battling, the whole teams battling back and forth. Just really proud of the way our team kept the confidence and kept battling. They did an outstanding job of competing all game long.”
TOP TIGERS
- Sophomore LHP T.J. Sikkema went 4.2 innings, allowing five hits and one earned run with six strikeouts.
- Junior 1B Brian Sharp tallied two RBI and a run while extending his reached base streak to 10 games. He is hitting 19-for-38 with 14 runs and 11 RBI over his last nine games. He posted his team-leading 15th multi-hit game of the season Friday, going 2-for-4 with a walk, one run and two RBIs.
- Senior 3B Alex Samples posted his 11th multi-hit game of the season, going 2-for-2 from the eight hole while scoring a run.
- Sophomore CF Connor Brumfield scored a pair of runs, walking twice in the game.
- Senior Matt Berler extended his hitting streak to four games with a single in the seventh inning. He also walked and scored a run Friday.
- Mizzou senior RHP Andy Toelken
NOTES
- Mizzou cut South Carolina’s lead in the all-time series 11-7 with the win. It was Mizzou’s first ever win at Founder’s Park.
- Mizzou improves to 10-9 in road games and handed South Carolina just its fourth home loss during SEC play (9-4 on the year).
- Mizzou improves to 14-13 against teams ranked in the RPI top-50. The 27 games played against RPI top-50 this season are the fifth-most games nationally.
- With a first pitch temperature of 93 degrees, it was Mizzou’s warmest game since 2012 NCAA Tucson Regional against Louisville.
- With a walk in the second inning, senior 2B Matt Berler has now reached base safely in four straight contests.
- Junior 1B Brian Sharp extended his reached base streak to 10 games with an RBI single in the fifth inning.
- Mizzou played its 27th errorless game of the season Friday.
UP NEXT
Mizzou and South Carolina will play game two of the series Saturday at 3 p.m.
— Mizzou Athletics —