Few believed Missouri baseball (6-9, 1-2 Southeastern Conference) could hold their own in the Southeastern Conference.
Record crowds, star pitching and a win against No. 6 South Carolina (17-3, 2-1 SEC) proved otherwise, as the Tigers took one of three from the Gamecocks, winning 4-0 on Saturday
“It feels good,” coach Tim Jamieson said. “I mean, we want to win two out of three every weekend. But when you lose the first two, to have the moxie and the fight to win the third game (is good). I’m proud of the guys. This will help us down the road. We’re still learning more about our ball club.”
Throughout the weekend, Missouri pitching hung tough against a talented South Carolina lineup, which included players from last year’s 2012 National Championship runner-up team. The No. 3 and 4 hitters Joey Pankake and LB Dantzler went a combined 3 for 25 at the plate.
Overall, the Gamecocks swatted a .183 average during the series, with the Tigers outhitting them, 23-19.
On Friday, junior starter Rob Zastryzny hurled seven innings, giving up two earned runs and striking out ten. During Saturday’s doubleheader, sophomore Brett Graves and junior Keeton Steele combined for 15 innings and one earned run, with Graves going the distance on a mere 107 pitches.
The Tiger offense seemed to be in question on Friday and half of Saturday, as Missouri managed only a single tally, stranding a combined 15 runners on base.
Defensively, the Tigers didn’t look so hot in the first two games, with three errors accounting for half of South Carolina’s runs.
However, in the latter game of the doubleheader, Missouri changed its tune. The Tigers’ bats pounded Gamecock pitching for four runs on nine hits, including three extra base hits. Missouri also drew four walks.
Gray, drizzly weather with temperatures in the low 40s also swung Saturday’s games toward the snowbirds of Missouri.
“It didn’t look like (South Carolina) wanted to be there and we could have definitely stolen two today,” Steele said after Saturday’s games.
The defense played with poise in the final game, though, as the Tigers turned two double plays, including a 250-foot assist from centerfield to home courtesy of sophomore Logan Pearson to tag out Max Schrock. The third-inning play swung the momentum in the Tigers’ favor.
“I knew (Schrock) was fast, but I knew my arm strength was good enough to get him,” Pearson said. “So I saw him take off, saw that (my throw) was good and I thanked God.”
Junior catcher Dylan Kelly and sophomore designated hitter Jake Ivory raked at the plate in the final game, going a combined five for nine with two runs and an RBI. Ivory improved his average to .357 on the year.
“Aw man, it was a long push,” Kelly said of his team’s first SEC win. “Felt good to get that first one out of the way.”
Missouri is set to square off against Arkansas State at 6 p.m. Tuesday and 4 p.m. Wednesday before heading off to Tennessee over the weekend for a three-game series in Knoxville.
