COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Baseball scored three runs in the bottom of the eighth inning as it rallied past South Carolina to claim the rubber game of a three-game series, 5-3, Sunday afternoon at Taylor Stadium. The win was Mizzou’s third when trailing after seven innings this season and moves Mizzou to 31-21 and 11-16 in SEC play. The series win for Mizzou was its first since April 6-8 at Georgia.
Mizzou trailed, 3-2, entering the bottom of the eighth inning but rallied for three in the frame, sparked by a leadoff double from Chris Cornelius (St. Louis, Mo.). DH Trey Harris (Powder Springs, Ga.) singled to score Cornelius and tie the game. The go-ahead run scored on a wild pitch following a walk and a balk as freshman A.J. Lewis scored after pinch running for Harris. Kameron Misner (Poplar Bluff, Mo.) then added insurance with an RBI single to end the scoring.
Junior RHP Andy Toelken (Green Cove Springs, Fla.) earned the win, his fourth of the season and first in SEC play. Sophomore LHP Michael Plassmeyer (St. Louis, Mo.) earned his first career save, getting the final two outs of the game after South Carolina got two men on.
After Mizzou starter Bryce Montes De Oca (Lawrence, Kan.) got South Carolina to go 1-2-3 in the first, Brett Bond (St. Louis, Mo.) got Mizzou on the board with his 10th homer of the year, a two-run shot with two outs in the bottom of the first.
Montes De Oca walked three batters and allowed two hits in the top of the third inning as the Gamecocks scratched across a pair of runs to tie the game at 2-2. The first came on an RBI groundout with the bases loaded and the second on an infield hit. South Carolina also lost a runner at the plate as 1B Brian Sharp (Liberty, Mo.) fired home on a fielder’s choice and Bond made a great tag to prevent the run from scoring.
South Carolina went ahead in the fifth inning, getting a two-out RBI double off Montes De Oca from RF Jacob Olson, putting the Gamecocks on top, 3-2. Toelken came in for the sixth inning and kept Mizzou within striking distance, tossing zeroes on the board in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings with just two hits allowed in that span.
Mizzou’s offense stayed quiet until threatening off SC reliever Josh Reagan in the seventh inning. Mizzou walked three times in the inning, but Bond was picked off first base and Mizzou couldn’t get the big hit to knock in the tying run.
Making his first start since injuring his shoulder in the Friday game at Vanderbilt, Harris tied the game in the bottom of the eighth inning, dropping a bloop hit into right field to score Cornelius who doubled to lead off the inning.
South Carolina then brought in closer Tyler Johnson who snagged out number two but followed up with a walk and a balk to put runners on second and third. The wild pitch to score Lewis and the RBI single by Misner put the nail in the coffin for the Gamecocks as Plassmeyer got the final two outs for his first save of the year.
Mizzou will play its final home game of 2017 on Tuesday against Eastern Kentucky at 4 p.m.
— Mizzou Athletics —