TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Mizzou Baseball (12-27, 5-14 SEC) fell in an 11-8 offensive slugfest to open its series at Alabama (26-15, 9-10 SEC) on Friday Night.
Mizzou jumped on the Tide in the first inning with four runs, all coming with two outs. Senior Brandt Belk roped a two-run double and later scored from second on an infield single by junior Tre Morris. Junior Joshua Day finished the rally with an RBI-single to stake the Tigers to a 4-0 lead.
Alabama responded immediately with a pair of solo home runs in the bottom half of the first to cut the lead to 4-2. Mizzou would score the next three runs, including two more with two outs in the third, to build a 7-2 advantage.
After a two-run Alabama homer cut the lead to 7-4, Sophomore Torin Montgomery doubled home a run to make it 8-4 in the fourth. The Tide pulled within 8-6 in the fifth and then took the lead in the sixth. Alabama strung together four-straight hits in the inning and were aided by a pair of errors to take a 9-8 edge.
Alabama added two in the eighth for the final margin of 11-8.
#ShowMe top performers
HEAR FROM THE SKIPPER
Head coach Steve Bieser on Friday night loss…
"Just a tough one to lose a ballgame like that. You put up eight runs on the board, you expect to win on Friday night and we just weren't able to slow them down. They got a little momentum… and we didn't really have an answer but, part of the answer is you can't have four errors in a ballgame and expect to win."
#MIZ TAKEAWAYS
- The Tigers scored four runs in the first inning for the second time this season (at Illinois State – March 13).
- Mizzou opened the game 8-for-11 with two outs in the first three innings. The Tigers scored six two-out runs in the first three frames.
- Andrew Keefer extended his hitting streak to nine games with a first-inning single.
- Mizzou's four errors were its most of the season.
- Day's three-hit performance was his second game of the year with a trio of knocks.
UP NEXT
Mizzou and Alabama continue the series on Saturday at 2 p.m. on SEC Network+.
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