Missouri Holds on for an Exta-Inning 6-5 Win Against Georgia

A late-inning offensive resurgence pushes the Tiger to the win against the Bulldogs

Author:
Amber Winkler
Apr 13, 2024

The Missouri Tigers broke their four-game streak of getting a player across home in the first inning in an SEC game. In this game, they didn't even take the first lead.

But they did take the lead in the top of the seventh and didn't give it up until the bottom of the ninth.

Graduate pitcher Ryan Magdic held the the Tigers ahead of the Bulldogs for a couple innings, but gave up back-to-back extra base hits with no outs to bring the tying-run aboard in the bottom of the ninth to send them into extra innings.

In the tenth inning, freshman center fielder Kaden Peer gave the Tigers a runner in scoring position with no outs. A sacrifice bunt pushed him to third and the hero from last weekend came through once more. Junior catcher Jedier Hernandez brought Peer home with a single through the middle to give the Tigers their final lead of the game for their 6-5 win.

Magdic came out for his final inning of work. He started it off with a swinging strikeout of the college baseball home run leader, Charlie Condon, and then another strikeout. A final strikeout sealed the win for the Tigers.

After being down for most of the game, senior third baseman Trevor Austin put the Tigers ahead 5-4. A three-run homer over the wall in left center saw Georgia's centerfielder bounce off the wall trying to catch it, but he couldn't. Missouri took the late lead.

Once more, the Tigers could not seem to get their bats on the ball in the early innings. Except for junior catcher Jedier Hernandez and Austin, who were the only Tigers to get multiple hits. Even their first run didn't come off of a hit.

Freshman shortstop Drew Culbertson put in some work to come across the plate in the top of the fifth. After his single into shallow center, Culbertson stole second, advanced to third on a groundout and then came home on a wild pitch.

Missouri was down 4-1 when they cut the lead in half by bringing Thomas Curry home in the top of the seventh. Curry walked to get on base and a groundout advanced him to second. Back-to-back singles from sophomore left fielder Jeric Curtis and redshirt freshman right fielder Tucker Moore was what pushed him across.

After his stellar performance in the weekend before, Missouri's starter, sophomore Logan Lunceford couldn't seem to find his grove in this game. He gave up a solo home run to Georgia's designated hitter Slate Alford.

Missouri committed their fourth error of the series in the bottom of the third. Lunceford tried to throw over to first, but the ball went past sophomore Brock Daniels at first and another run came home for the Gators. A third run was walked in before Lunceford got out of the bases loaded jam.

Missouri's pitchers struggled with giving free bases to the Bulldogs. Lunceford, sophomore relief pitcher Brock Lucas, and Magdic combined for 11 walks and two hit-by-pitches. The fourth run that came home in the game for Georgia got on by a walk.

Missouri's record improves to 16-20 and 5-9 in conference play, while Georgia drops to 26-9 and 6-8. The Tigers will return to the field on April 13 at 2:30 p.m. for the final game of the series.