Mizzou Baseball Sweeps Doubleheader at Georgia to Open SEC Play

Saturday, March 14

Athens, Ga.

1:0 0PM

Missouri

14-4, 2-0

Georgia

12-7, 0-2

Mizzou

Georgia

Mizzou Baseball Sweeps Doubleheader at Georgia to Open SEC Play

3/14/2015 4:20:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

ATHENS, Ga. - Mizzou baseball swept a doubleheader at Georgia to open SEC play on Saturday (March 14) at Foley Field as the Tigers improve to 14-4 on the season and 2-0 in SEC play. The Tigers moved their winning streak to four games with the sweep as it was Mizzou's fourth doubleheader sweep of the season. Mizzou got homers from freshman Trey Harris (Powder Springs, Ga.) and Case Munson (St. Charles, Mo.) to aid a complete game effort from Reggie McClain (Duluth, Ga.) in the game-one win. Harris finished with three hits, including his three-run homer in the sixth inning, in the first game.

In game two, the Tigers and Bulldogs went extra innings, but Mizzou exploded for four runs in the top of the 10th inning to break the game open. Breckin Williams (Ononoro, Mo.) then retired the Buldogs in the 10th to wrap up his third win of the season. That sealed the win as Mizzou is now 4-0 this season when tied after eight innings of play.

In game one, after Georgia picked up a run on a two-out double in the first, Mizzou got that run back in the top of the third inning, led by the catalysts at the top of the lineup -Brett Peel (St. Charles, Mo.) and Jake Ring (Ingleside, Ill.). Peel drew a one-out walk and was driven home on an RBI double to center field by Ring, just the second extra-base hit allowed by Georgia start Ryan Lawlor all season. It was also Ring's team-leading eighth extra-base hit of the season.

After both pitchers seemed to settle in, Mizzou finally broke through against Lawlor in the top of the sixth inning. Ryan Howard (St. Charles, Mo.) led off the inning with a single into center and Brett Bond (St. Louis, Mo.) walked to put two men on. Then with two outs, Harris - a Georgia native - launched his first career home run, a three-run shot over the fence in left to break the game open.

McClain then came back out and retired UGA in order in the bottom of the sixth. Munson then launched his second homer of the season to lead off the seventh, ending Lawlor's day. Lawlor had allowed just one extra-base hit all season before surrendering three to the Tigers, all three scoring runs for Mizzou.

McClain retired nine in a row until the bottom of the eighth as a leadoff single by Nick King ended that streak. He then issued a one-out walk before striking out Zack Bowers for the fourth time for out No. 2. He then got a 6-3 groundout off the bat of Jared Walsh to get him through eight innings.

McClain came back out for the ninth and worked around a two-out walk to wrap up his second complete game of the season, earning his third win of the year.

In game two, Georgia again struck in the first inning on a Walsh RBI hit with two outs. But just like game one, Mizzou came back in the top of the third inning. Mizzou tied the game on a passed ball with runners on second and third, scoring Munson. Josh Lester (Columbus, Ga.) then gave Mizzou the lead on a sacrifice fly. Bond then blooped a single into right center to give Mizzou a 3-1 lead through 2.5 innings.

Houck came out and blew away the Bulldogs in the bottom of the third as he had sat down seven in a row after Georgia jumped on him in the first. He worked around a one-out hit in the fourth thanks to a great play in the hole at short from Ryan Howard (St. Charles, Mo.)

Bond then gave the Tigers a 4-1 lead in the top of the sixth inning on his third homer of the season - his first batting left handed - to lead off the frame. Georgia countered with a homer of its own in the bottom half of the frame - a solo shot off of Houck by Skyler Weber that cut the lead to 4-2.

Houck used a five-pitch inning to get through seven innings and then battled against shortstop Nick King in a 14-pitch at bat, getting a pop-up to right. But Stephen Wrenn then homered in the very next at-bat, ending Houck's day in favor of Austin Tribby (Springfield, Mo.). Weber then hit his second homer of the game to tie the game at 4-4.

That set up the heroics in the 10th inning as Mizzou exploded for four runs in the top of the 10th inning, two of which came on a big bases-loaded double by Lavy to break the game open. Williams then was lights out in the bottom of the 10th to put the game away.

Mizzou and Georgia will play the series finale tomorrow at noon (CT) at Foley Field. Junior righty Peter Fairbanks (St. Louis, Mo.) will get the start for the Tigers. For all the latest on Mizzou baseball, stay tuned to MUTigers.com and follow the team on twitter @MizzouBaseball.