COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri baseball senior Tre Morris lifted a sacrifice fly into center field to complete the comeback and send the Tigers to an 8-7, walk-off victory over South Carolina on Saturday afternoon at Taylor Stadium.
Mizzou (16-8, 2-6 SEC) scored five runs in the bottom of the eighth to erase a three-run deficit. Graduate Fox Leum sparked the rally with a two-run single off the first base bag. Junior Nander De Sedas followed with a towering three-run home run to stake the Tigers to a 7-5 lead.
Leum finished 3-for-4 at the plate with three RBI to lead the Tigers in the come-from-behind win. De Sedas added three RBI as well while junior Luke Mann and Morris drove in one.
On the mound, freshman Tony Neubeck went a career-long five innings while allowing just two runs on two hits. Junior Nathan Landry (2-2) earned the win by stopping the Gamecocks’ rally in the ninth to keep the game tied. The lefty did not allow a run in his inning of work and struck out one.
South Carolina (13-13, 3-5 SEC) was led by former Tiger Brandt Belk with a 2-for-4 day and four RBI. Gamecock starter Will Sanders went seven innings while allowing two runs on seven hits in a no-decision.
IMPACT INNING
With the game tied in the bottom of the ninth, Ross Lovich worked a seven-pitch walk to start the inning. Josh Day followed with a single, putting two Tigers aboard with no outs. Luke Mann, who homered earlier in the game, was asked to bunt and laid down a perfect sacrifice, moving the runners into scoring position.
Morris capitalized on the opportunity after falling behind 1-2 in the count and lifted the walk-off sac fly into center as Lovich raced home without a throw to send the Tigers streaming onto the field in celebration.
TOP TIGERS
Fox Leum: 3-for-4, HR, 3 RBI, R
Nander De Sedas: 1-for-4, HR, 3 RBI
Tre Morris: 1-for-4, GW Sac Fly
Tony Nuebeck: 5.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 K, 4 BB
IN THE NOTES
FROM THE SKIP
Coach Bieser on trailing by three in the eighth and the late comeback…
“Yeah, it would be easy to shut it down. But again, one of the things that we knew was that once we can get into that bullpen and we can take good at bats, we're going to be in good shape. I think everybody believed that, they stayed confident and they were able to get their job done.”
UP NEXT
Mizzou and South Carolina wrap up the series with a 1 p.m. first pitch Sunday afternoon on SEC Network +.
Mizzou (16-8, 2-6 SEC) scored five runs in the bottom of the eighth to erase a three-run deficit. Graduate Fox Leum sparked the rally with a two-run single off the first base bag. Junior Nander De Sedas followed with a towering three-run home run to stake the Tigers to a 7-5 lead.
Leum finished 3-for-4 at the plate with three RBI to lead the Tigers in the come-from-behind win. De Sedas added three RBI as well while junior Luke Mann and Morris drove in one.
On the mound, freshman Tony Neubeck went a career-long five innings while allowing just two runs on two hits. Junior Nathan Landry (2-2) earned the win by stopping the Gamecocks’ rally in the ninth to keep the game tied. The lefty did not allow a run in his inning of work and struck out one.
South Carolina (13-13, 3-5 SEC) was led by former Tiger Brandt Belk with a 2-for-4 day and four RBI. Gamecock starter Will Sanders went seven innings while allowing two runs on seven hits in a no-decision.
IMPACT INNING
With the game tied in the bottom of the ninth, Ross Lovich worked a seven-pitch walk to start the inning. Josh Day followed with a single, putting two Tigers aboard with no outs. Luke Mann, who homered earlier in the game, was asked to bunt and laid down a perfect sacrifice, moving the runners into scoring position.
Morris capitalized on the opportunity after falling behind 1-2 in the count and lifted the walk-off sac fly into center as Lovich raced home without a throw to send the Tigers streaming onto the field in celebration.
TOP TIGERS
Fox Leum: 3-for-4, HR, 3 RBI, R
Nander De Sedas: 1-for-4, HR, 3 RBI
Tre Morris: 1-for-4, GW Sac Fly
Tony Nuebeck: 5.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 K, 4 BB
IN THE NOTES
- The walk-off win was Missouri’s first since March 11, 2020 against Northern Illinois. It was the first walk-off sac fly for the Tigers since 2018 against Mississippi State.
- The win was Mizzou’s first of the season when trailing after seven innings.
- Eight of Mizzou’s nine starters recorded a base hit in the win.
- The win marked the seventh time this season the Tigers have come from behind to earn the victory.
- Leum’s three RBI match his career high set twice before. His second-inning home run was his second of the season and in the past four games.
- Mann produced his fourth home run of the year, a 443-foot blast to RF in the sixth inning.
FROM THE SKIP
Coach Bieser on trailing by three in the eighth and the late comeback…
“Yeah, it would be easy to shut it down. But again, one of the things that we knew was that once we can get into that bullpen and we can take good at bats, we're going to be in good shape. I think everybody believed that, they stayed confident and they were able to get their job done.”
UP NEXT
Mizzou and South Carolina wrap up the series with a 1 p.m. first pitch Sunday afternoon on SEC Network +.
