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. For all the latest on all things Mizzou Baseball, stay tuned to MUTigers.com and follow the team on Twitter @MizzouBaseball and like the team on Facebook and Instagram (Missouri Baseball).
Potent Quotables
Head Coach Steve Bieser
Opening statement …
"We went into the series knowing this was a big series for us for many reasons. Number one, we wanted to start playing a lot better. Being able to win a big series against South Carolina can kind of fuel that drive down the stretch for our guys and get us locked in and know that there is still a lot to play for this season. Getting a series win here and we have a big series next weekend and just kind of play this season out and play hard and see where it leads us to."
Postgame Notes
- Mizzou has now won two consecutive series over South Carolina when playing at Taylor Stadium, also winning in 2015. Mizzou trails the all-time series with the Gamecock, 10-6, but leads 5-4 at home.
- Mizzou is now 6-7 on Sundays this season.
- The series win was Mizzou's first since April 6-8 at Georgia.
- Mizzou is now 2-4 in SEC rubber games this season.
- Mizzou earned its third win when trailing after seven innings Sunday.
- Mizzou clinched a spot in this month's SEC Tournament with the win.
- Mizzou has more than 30 wins for the first time since 2012 when the team won 33. Mizzou's 11 conference wins are the most in SEC play since the Tigers won 15 in 2015 and the 11 wins are Mizzou's second-most ever since joining the SEC.
- Junior C Brett Bond hit his 10th homer of the year, second-most on the team and a career-high season total for Bond.
- Bond also tallied his 14th multi-hit game of the year Sunday.
- Mizzou is now 7-2 in games that Brett Bond hits a homer.
- Freshman Chris Cornelius tallied his third double of the series in the eighth inning.
