@MizzouBaseball Claims Series Opener over South Carolina, 5-2

Friday, April 26

Columbia, Mo.

6:30 PM

University of Missouri

28-15-1, 0

South Carolina

24-18, 0

South Carolina

Mizzou

@MizzouBaseball Claims Series Opener over South Carolina, 5-2

4/26/2019 10:38:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

Strong pitching, situational hitting leads Tigers in victory

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Baseball (28-15-1, 8-10-1 SEC) continued its five-game homestand with a Friday night series opener against the South Carolina Gamecocks, emerging victorious off a fantastic pitching performance.

After struggling to get runners on against the Gamecocks' RHP Reid Morgan in the first few frames, Mizzou was able to get on the board after junior DH Peter Zimmermann hit a well-placed ball into shallow right field.

The St. Louis, Missouri, native did his damage on the basepaths as well, forcing a balk against Morgan which advanced junior SS Chris Cornelius to tie the game at two apiece. Mizzou continued to earn its runs in unconventional ways, scoring on a wild pitch in the bottom of the sixth.

The Tigers offense was able to find a spark in the seventh, extending their lead to three via the bat of Zimmermann again. The 5-2 mark proved to be enough towards securing the series opening win and starting off a pivotal three-game set in Southeastern Conference play.

On the bump, junior LHP Jacob Cantleberry went six strong innings as the starter. Following Cantleberry, sophomore RHP Ian Bedell was able to hold down the fort for the final three frames. The Davenport, Iowa, native was flawless on the hill, recording three strikeouts and retiring the Gamecocks in order each inning. Friday's performance continued his 17.0 innings pitched streak without surrounding an earned run.

#ShowMe Top Performers vs. South Carolina

Cantleberry: (W) 6.0 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K
Bedell: (SV) 3.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
Zimmermann: 1-for-4, 3 RBI, 2 SB
Cornelius: 2-for-4, 2 R, SB
Kameron Misner: 3-for-5
Chad McDaniel: 2-for-4, R, 2B, SB

Hear From Head Coach Steve Bieser

On Mizzou quickly answering after South Carolina took a 2-0 lead in the third inning…

"It's crucial right there that you have an answer. Whether you get both of them back or you get one of them back. As long as you can kind of get back into it, you can help the team roll and I think those two runs really helped us settle in."

On Bedell's dominance in relief Friday…

"Ian has been really good in that role a couple times coming out of the bullpen and just keeping everything at bay. He's just got to keep doing what he's been doing and not try to do anything different."

#MIZ Takeaways

Cantleberry continued to be a reliable option for Mizzou as a Friday night starter. The junior has earned a quality start in eight of his 11 outings, giving the Tigers a prime opportunity to win while he's on the mound.
Cornelius serves as a spark to firing up the Mizzou offense night in and out. When the junior records at least two hits, the Tigers are 13-2-1.
Cornelius tallied a single in the bottom of the third, recording a hit for the 10th time in his last 11 games played. In addition, the junior tallied his 17th multi-hit game of the season after singling in the seventh, leading all Tiger batters this season.
Taylor Stadium remains a fortress for the Tigers, as Friday's outing improved Coach Bieser's side to 18-3 while in Mid-Missouri.
Reaching three-plus runs scored remained paramount to Mizzou's success in the win-loss column. The Tigers are now 25-7 when reaching that mark on the scoreboard.
Senior OF Connor Brumfield reached base via walk for the third straight game, helping extend his on-base streak to three as well.
Misner recorded his fourth three-hit game of the season. In addition, the junior earned his 13th multi-hit game of the season, second on Mizzou only to Cornelius (17).

Up Next

Game two of the weekend series for Mizzou and South Carolina is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CT Saturday evening at Taylor Stadium.
Fans can purchase tickets by visiting MUTigers.com/Tickets or by calling the Mizzou Athletics Ticket Office at 1-800-CAT-PAWS.

Visit MUTigers.com for the latest information on all things Mizzou Baseball. You can also find the Tigers on social media by liking us on Facebook (Mizzou Baseball) and following us on Twitter (@MizzouBaseball) and Instagram (Missouri_Baseball).