96.9 The Jock ESPN Radio Springfield Missouri
ATHENS, Ga. – University of Missouri baseball rallied from an early deficit, riding a four-run seventh inning and the shutdown relief work of Ryan Magdic to a 6-5 victory over Georgia in 10 innings Friday evening at Foley Field, leveling the two clubs’ Southeastern Conference series at one game apiece.
Jedier Hernandez’s 10th inning chopper found its way through the right side of the Georgia infield to bring in Kaden Peer with the go-ahead run, and Magdic (1-1) struck out the side in the home half to put an exclamation point on a -dominant 3 1/3 inning stint over which the left-hander fanned a career-high eight batters.
Mizzou’s game-winning rally started with an infield hit off the bat of Peer, who moved into scoring position on a Georgia throwing error. Trevor Austin, who belted a momentum-swinging three-run homer to give the Tigers (16-20, 5-9 SEC) a 5-4 lead in the seventh, came through once more, this time with a successful sacrifice bunt that moved Peer to third. Hernandez then lined a two-strike offering through a drawn-in Bulldogs infield to bring in Peer with the go-ahead tally.
The pivotal rally came moments after Georgia tied the game in the bottom of the ninth and put the potential winning run on third base with nobody out. Magdic promptly worked his way out of the jam, striking out Fernando Gonzalez for the first out, then inducing a grounder to first before recording the third out on a soft liner to second, stranding the runner at third.
The Tigers’ victory followed a strong start by the Bulldogs, who scored four of the game’s first five runs over the six innings. After hitting three home runs in Thursday’s series opener, Georgia once again used the long ball to establish an early lead in the second game. Slate Alford drove a 1-0 pitch from Mizzou starter Logan Lunceford off the center field batter’s eye for a 1-0 Bulldogs advantage.
The home club added to its lead in third, taking advantage of a hit batsman and three walks to plate two more runs. With one out, Lunceford hit Corey Collins with a pitch, and Charlie Condon followed with the first of his two hits on the night to spark the Bulldogs scoring threat. An errant pickoff attempt allowed Collins to trot home from third, before three consecutive walks forced home the third Bulldogs tally of the night.
Bulldogs starter Leighton Finley was in control early, as the right-hander struck out a career-high six batters, scattering five hits while allowing just one run over the first five innings. Mizzou broke through for its first run in the fifth, however, using Culbertson’s first hit of the game as a springboard. The Tigers shortstop stole second, before eventually racing home on a wild pitch to pull the Tigers to within two runs.
Georgia (26-9, 6-8 SEC) answered in the bottom of the sixth, stretching its lead back to three runs on Condon’s RBI single.
But a pair of freshmen sparked Mizzou’s key seventh-inning surge, with Thomas Curry drawing a leadoff walk, before Tucker Moore delivered a one-out single. Jeric Curtis made it a 4-2 game with a run-scoring hit and Austin belted a three-run shot to left-center on a 1-0 offering from Brian Zeldin (3-1) to flip the scoreboard in the Tigers’ favor, 5-4.
Magdic immediately impacted the game up on entering with two on and two out in the seventh, shutting down a Georgia threat with an inning-ending strikeout of Tre Phelps. The graduate transfer struck out the side in the eighth, before keeping the Tigers in the contest by working out of the ninth-inning jam. He also set the tone for the 10th, starting the inning by blowing a third strike past Condon, who had reached base safely in 10 of his previous 11 trips to the plate over the first two games of the series leading up to that at-bat.
After hitting a batter with two out, Magdic closed out the victory — his first as a Tiger — with a strikeout of Logan Jordan, handing the Bulldogs just their second home loss of the season.
Austin led the Tigers with a 2-for-4 night and three RBIs, while Hernandez added a 2-for-5 effort and Culbertson added two hits in his three at-bats.
TIGER NOTEBOOK
- With the win, Mizzou evened its series with Georgia at 16-16, improving to 10-7 all-time vs. the Bulldogs in Athens.
- The Tigers improved to 4-2 in extra-inning games this season, including a 2-1 mark in SEC play.
- The victory marked Mizzou’s first road win in SEC play since a 13-5 victory over Texas A&M on April 15, 2023.
- Austin’s home run marked his first since March 24 vs. Kentucky, as well as the 25th of his Mizzou career.
- With his ninth round-tripper of the season, Austin also surpassed his previous season high (2023).
- Hernandez recorded his sixth two-hit effort and eighth overall multi-hit performance of the season; the junior catcher has registered at least one hit in each of his last five starts.
- Culbertson extended his hit streak to four straight games, matching a career best (previously Feb. 22-24); the freshman also notched his fifth multi-hit effort.
- MU pitchers recorded 13 strikeouts, giving the Tigers 62 punchouts in their last five SEC games (since April 5); Mizzou has totaled at least 13 K’s in four of those outings.
UP NEXT
Mizzou and Georgia will conclude their three-game set with a 2:30 p.m (CDT) contest Saturday at Foley Field.
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