University of Missouri
15-4, 1-1
LSU
13-7, 1-1
No. 24 @MizzouBaseball Evens Series with 12-6 Win at No. 16 LSU
3/17/2018 10:25:00 PM | Baseball
Brett Bond’s fifth-inning blast, eight-run eighth back a tremendous start by junior LHP Michael Plassmeyer
BATON ROUGE, La. – No. 24 Mizzou Baseball earned a 12-6 win over No. 16 LSU Saturday night at Alex Box Stadium. Mizzou improves to 15-4 (1-1 SEC) and most importantly evens the series with LSU (13-7, 1-1). The win marks Mizzou's third over a ranked opponent this season as Mizzou is 3-1 in such games, outscoring ranked teams 32-14 this season. Mizzou's 12 runs are the most LSU has allowed at home in an SEC game since April 22, 2016, vs. Mississippi State (also 12), and it is the worst home SEC loss for LSU since April 13, 2014, a 10-4 loss to Arkansas.
Junior LHP Michael Plassmeyer (St. Louis, Mo.) was tremendous in his first SEC start of the season. He went 7.0+ innings and allowed just two runs on five hits with one walk and eight strikeouts. The eight strikeouts are his most ever in an SEC start while his 7.0-inning outing marks his second-longest this season.
Senior C Brett Bond (St. Louis, Mo.) hit a go-ahead, two-run, two-out homer in the top of the fifth inning on a full-count to give Mizzou the lead. Mizzou then sent 14 men to the plate against six LSU pitchers in a 45-minute, eight-run eighth inning that put the game away.
TURNING POINT
With LSU clinging to a 1-0 lead after hanging a run on a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the fourth inning, Mizzou got a two-out rally together in its half of the fifth inning. Sophomore 1B Kameron Misner (Poplar Bluff, Mo.) came to the plate after two quick outs in the frame and roped a 2-1 pitch into right field for his first hit of the game. That brought in senior C Brett Bond (St. Louis, Mo.) who went ahead in the count, 2-1, before fouling off three straight pitches. Misner then stole second base, and on the eighth pitch of the at-bat, Bond took LSU starter Caleb Gilbert deep to right for a go-ahead, two-run homer the opposite way.
Mizzou then exploded for five runs in the top of the eighth inning to put the game away. The big blow came on a two-run, bad-hop base hit for Trey Harris (Powder Springs, Ga.), his third hit of the game. Mizzou continued to get on base against the LSU bullpen in the eighth to put the game away.
QUOTING MIZZOU
"It was one of those games that when you're watching the early part, we are letting some good opportunities just go by, but the one thing our guys did was they stayed locked in and were able to break a big eighth inning. That was about as disciplined as I've seen our team all season long in their at-bats. Really excited to see that for our guys. It was really nice to get a win here and get a chance to get the rubber match going and have a chance to win a series."
TOP TIGERS
- Junior LHP Michael Plassmeyer was tremendous in his first SEC start April 15 of last season. He went 7.0 innings, allowing just two runs on five hits with eight strikeouts, his most in an SEC game, against only one walk.
- Sophomore 1B Kameron Misner posted a two-hit game, singling in advance of Bond's homer in the fifth and doubling in the eighth. He also scored three runs in the win.
- Senior OF Trey Harris turned in his seventh multi-hit game of the season Saturday, one off the team lead. Harris singled in his first two at-bats and hit a two-run single in the eighth inning. It was his first three-hit game of the season.
- Junior 3B Brian Sharp tallied three hits Saturday, going 3-for-6 with a run. He now has six multi-hit games this season and has a team-high three three-hit games. He also added a stolen base.
- Senior C Brett Bond hit his second homer of the season, a go-ahead two-run homer in the top of the fifth inning. He finished 2-for-5 at the plate with a run and a team-high four RBI.
NOTES
- Saturday marked Mizzou's first ever win over LSU. It had been 0-13 in its previous 13 attempts.
- Mizzou improves to 24-14 away from home under second-year head coach Steve Bieser.
- Mizzou improves to 9-2 in three-game series this season.
- Mizzou improves to 6-1 on Saturdays.
- Mizzou is 3-1 vs. ranked opponents this season and 2-1 this week.
- Mizzou improves to 9-8 during the opening weekend of SEC play since joining the league in 2013.
- Senior OF Trey Harris singled in the first inning for the second consecutive game and now leads the team with 26 hits this season.
- Harris stole his 32nd career base in the third inning. The 32 steals rank tied for ninth in school history with legendary two-sport star Phil Bradley, who played Major League Baseball for eight seasons and has his number retired at Taylor Stadium.
- Mizzou's 2-3-4-5 hitters went a combined 10-for-22 with six runs, four RBI and two walks.
UP NEXT
Mizzou and LSU will play the rubber game of a three-game set Sunday at 2 p.m. The game will air on SEC Network+ and KTGR in the Mid-Missouri area. For all the latest on Mizzou Baseball, stay tuned to MUTigers.com and follow the team on Twitter (@MizzouBaseball) and like the team on Facebook (Mizzou Baseball) and Instagram (missouri_baseball).
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Plassmeyer, Michael (3-0)
L: Caleb Gilbert (2-1)
Batting:
2B: Misner, Kameron 1 ; Sharp, Brian 1
HR: Bond, Brett 1
RBI: Brumfield, Connor 2 ; Harris, Trey 2 ; Bond, Brett 4 ; Bormet, Cade 1 ; Cornelius, Chris 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Brumfield, Connor 1 ; Harris, Trey 1 ; Misner, Kameron 3 ; Bond, Brett 1 ; Sharp, Brian 1 ; Bormet, Cade 1 ; Vierling, Mark 1 ; Samples, Alex 1 ; Cornelius, Chris 2
SB: Harris, Trey 1 ; Misner, Kameron 1 ; Sharp, Brian 1
HBP: Cornelius, Chris 1
Batting:
2B: Zach Watson 1 ; Bryce Jordan 1
HR: Zach Watson 1 ; Jake Slaughter 1
RBI: Zach Watson 2 ; Beau Jordan 1 ; Bryce Jordan 1 ; Jake Slaughter 1 ; Hal Hughes 1
SH: Hunter Feduccia 1
SF: Beau Jordan 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Zach Watson 1 ; Antoine Duplantis 1 ; Beau Jordan 1 ; Bryce Jordan 1 ; Jake Slaughter 1 ; Clay Moffitt 1
HBP: Hal Hughes 1
PO: Antoine Duplantis 1
