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COLUMBIA, S.C. – Despite riding a career night from Luke Mann to a late three-run lead, No. 15/21 Missouri baseball dropped a 9-8 decision to No. 4/9 South Carolina after the Gamecocks rallied with four two-out runs in the ninth inning to hand the Tigers their first Southeastern Conference setback Friday evening at Founders Park.
Mann powered Mizzou’s comeback from an early four-run deficit with a mammoth night at the plate, finishing 4-for-5 with three home runs, six RBIs and four runs scored—all career-best single-game totals for the Tiger third baseman.
But Caleb Denny’s two-run single ignited the decisive USC rally, after Mizzou’s Zach Franklin fanned Carson Hornung for the second out of the ninth with the Tigers still holding an 8-5 lead. Next, pinch hitter Jonathan French lined the game-tying single through the right side of the infield, before Michael Braswell’s infield single—coupled with a Tiger throwing error—brought home Denny with the winning run.
The loss ended Mizzou’s (17-4, 3-1 SEC) six-game win streak, while the Gamecocks (21-2, 4-0 SEC) remained perfect in SEC play.
Despite the heart-breaking ending, the Tigers battled back from an early 4-0 deficit, riding Mann’s big night and another strong effort from its pitching staff to the brink of victory. Mann belted a two-run shot to cut the USC lead in half in the third, launched a game-tying three-run blast to right-center field in the fourth, then cracked his third homer to lead off the eighth and hand his club a two-run advantage.
With his fifth multi-homer performance as a Tiger—and his second in as many seasons against South Carolina—Mann moved into sole possession of the No. 7 spot on Mizzou’s career home run list.
The Gamecocks, who entered the series with an NCAA Division I-leading 56 home runs, used the long ball effectively as well. Will McGillis’s second-inning grand slam put USC on top, after a hit batsman and back-to-back walks loaded the bases with one out.
Next, it was freshman Ethan Petry’s turn to muscle up and add to the Gamecock lead. After Mann went deep with his first long ball in the top of the third, Petry answered with a solo shot to left, hiking the margin back to three runs.
But Ty Wilmsmeyer coaxed a leadoff walk to open the fourth, before USC starter Will Sanders hit Justin Colon to set up a Mizzou scoring opportunity. Mann took full advantage, unloading on Sanders’ 1-1 pitch for a momentum-turning three-run shot.
Mann sparked the Tigers’ go-ahead rally in the sixth as well, singling to start the inning, before stealing second and coming around to score on Trevor Austin’s two-out single.
Following Mann’s third homer of the night, Mizzou tacked on an insurance run in the eighth after a Juju Stevens single, a hit batsman and a walk loaded the bases. Dylan Leach punched an RBI grounder to the right side to bring in pinch runner Isaiah Frost for an 8-5 Mizzou lead.
The Tigers held that margin thanks to the pitching of Rorik Maltrud, who entered the game in the fourth after starter Chandler Murphy went down with an apparent injury. Maltrud recorded his first seven outs via strikeouts, ultimately finishing with eight punchouts over his 3 1/3 scoreless innings.
Franklin (4-1) picked up where Maltrud left off, working a 1-2-3 eighth inning, before the Gamecocks mounted their decisive rally in the ninth.
TIGER NOTEBOOK
• Mizzou dropped to 13-18 all-time vs. South Carolina and 2-11 in Columbia, S.C.
• Mann’s three-homer game marked the second by a Tiger in the last six games, following Hank Zeisler’s performance vs. Lamar on March 15.
• Maltrud’s eight K’s marked a Mizzou career high for the New Mexico State transfer.
• Mann’s four hits marked a new career high, surpassing four previous three-hit performances during his time in Black and Gold.
• Mann also surpassed personal bests for runs (4) and RBIs (6), and moved past Dave Silvestri and Ryan Stegall on the Mizzou career home run list, finishing the night with 36.
• Stevens matched a career high with two hits, marking his fourth multi-hit effort as a Tiger.
• The Tigers racked up 15 strikeouts as a staff—one shy of their season high–and tallied their 15th double-digit strikeout performance in 21 games this season.
• Mann homered two times vs. South Carolina in last year’s series finale with the Gamecocks (April 3), giving him five homers, 10 RBIs and eight runs scored in his last two meetings with USC.
UP NEXT
Mizzou and South Carolina will continue their series Saturday (March 25) with a 3 p.m. (CDT) contest at Founders Park.
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