Missouri Tigers Begin SEC Play With Sweep Of Georgia
By Derek Franks
The Missouri Tigers baseball team began its conference play with a resounding sweep of Georgia over the weekend.
They opened their SEC season with style at Georgia’s Foley field on Saturday, winning the game 5-1, thanks to spectacular play from Freshman Jake Ring, who batted in two runs on five hits, and scorched the Gamecocks pitching with a double in the fourth inning. It was Ring’s team-leading eighth extra base hit so far this season.
Mizzou got great games out of Brett Peel and Ryan Howard, who made Georgia starter Ryan Lawlor look rusty and out of sync in both teams’ first SEC game of the young season.
The Tigers improved their record to 14-4, a turnaround from the 4-14 mark at this point last season. It was their fourth win in a row.
The two teams played to a much closer affair in game 2 of the doubleheader, this time needing extra innings to decide things. With the game tied at four in the 10th inning, Mizzou erupted into a hitting machine, bringing home four runs in the top of the 10th. Mizzou got homers from Case Munson and Trey Harris, nabbing the win for sensation pitcher Reggie McClain—who was facing his home state team. Closer Breckin Williams did the dirty work on the mound in the bottom of the tenth to seal a victory for McClain and the Tigers.
It was the fourth time this year Mizzou swept a doubleheader.
Missouri gets right back to work next week against highly ranked Arkansas Pinebluff in Columbia.