@MizzouBaseball Sweeps Hofstra on Brumfield’s Walk-Off

Sunday, February 28

Fort Myers, Fla.

10 a.m. (CST)

University of Missouri

7-2

Hofstra

0-7

Hofstra

Mizzou

@MizzouBaseball Sweeps Hofstra on Brumfield’s Walk-Off

2/28/2016 1:03:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

FORT MYERS, Fla. – Mizzou Baseball swept a four-game series with Hofstra thanks to a walk-off single by freshman Connor Brumfield (Columbia, Mo.) in the bottom of the 10^th inning on Sunday at City of Palms Park. Mizzou scored one run in the ninth on a Trey Harris (Powder Springs, Ga.) sacrifice fly to tie the game and then won on Brumfield's single in the 10^th.

Freshman Brian Sharp (Liberty, Mo.) picked up his first career win and the Tigers got 6.0 stellar innings from freshman LHP Michael Plassmeyer (St. Louis, MO.), who reset career-highs in innings, strikeouts and allowed just two runs on four hits over 6.0 innings. SS Ryan Howard (St. Charles, Mo.) led the offense with three hits in the win and got the ninth-inning rally started with a leadoff single

Plassmeyer had an easy first inning, throwing just 12 pitches to post a 1-2-3 inning. In fact, just one baserunner reached off of Plassmeyer through the first four innings, and that was a two-out error in the second inning. Ryan Howard (St. Charles, Mo.) singled and stole second to lead off the fourth, but Mizzou could not bring him across. Brett Bond (St. Louis, Mo.) nearly singled him in, but a good play at second saved a run.

Plassmeyer then surrendered his first hit to lead off the fourth, but then induced a 6-3 double play and got a flyout to right to end the frame.

Both pitchers continued to deal until Mizzou finally got to Hofstra starter Bowie Matteson in the sixth. With two outs, Howard tallied his second hit of the day, this time driving a pitch into left. He promptly stole second for his second steal of the game and Jake Ring (Ingleside, Ill.) drove him in with a single the other way into left, giving Mizzou a 1-0 lead.

As quickly as Mizzou got the lead, Hofstra took it right back in the top of the seventh. Plassmeyer allowed a pair of hits to open the frame, ending his day in favor of Cole Bartlett (Williamsburg, Ind.) who loaded the bases by hitting a batter. A single by Matt Annunziata then tied the game at 1-1. Brian Sharp (Liberty, Mo.) then came on and got the final two outs, but Hofstra took the lead on a sacrifice fly, 2-1.

Mizzou went 1-2-3 in the seventh inning and Sharp threw up another zero in the eighth, pitching around a leadoff single and an intentional walk. Mizzou then had a chance to tie the game in the eighth after a leadoff double from Shane Benes (Town & Country, Mo.), but Mizzou couldn't get him across after a two strikeouts and a bounce-out to second.

Sharp pitched a 1-2-3 ninth to give Mizzou a chance with the 2-3-4 hitters up in the ninth. Howard led off the frame and Ring followed with a walk after falling behind 0-2. Zach Lavy (Auxvasse, Mo.) bunted and reached on an error to load the bases. Then with one out, Trey Harris (Powder Springs, Ga.) then hit a sacrifice fly to tie the game.

Sharp then led off the 10^th with a walk and Tim Jamieson pinch ran Johnny Balsamo (Kansas City, Mo.). He moved to second on a wild pitch and was bunted to third. Brumfield then came up and ripped a full-count pitch into right field for the game-winning hit.

Mizzou will return home for Opening Day on March 2 at Taylor Stadium. Admission is free of charge. For all the latest on Mizzou Baseball, stay tuned to MUTigers.com and follow the team on Twitter @MizzouBaseball and like the team on Facebook and Instagram (Mizzou Baseball).

Mizzou Musings:

Head Coach Tim Jamieson

Opening Statement…
"A lot of good things today. I was getting a little frustrated at times when we give away at-bats, but bottom line is that early in the year you find ways to win, it's going to help you as the season progresses. "

On the team's struggle to score runs on Sunday…
"I just don't know if we had enough guys dialed in in the lineup. We gave away too many at-bats. It wasn't really the elements, the field. The pitcher did a really good job for Hofstra. We just didn't take very good swings against the starting pitcher."

On Michael Plassmeyer's start…
"He pitched very well. I think he benefited from knowing what these guys are capable of doing. Once again, that's going to be his spot. He's capable of picking guys apart if we know how to pitch them and we had a pretty good idea of how to pitch their lineup."

On the execution late in the game …
"It was good. Again, pick it apart in terms of we should have won in the ninth when we had the bases loaded with nobody out. But as I said, we found a way to do just enough good things to win a baseball game."

On the road trip as a whole…
"I think we leave here a better baseball team than when we got here and that's more important to me."

UTIL Brian Sharp

On his performance…
"During the bottom half of the ninth, I felt like I let the team down not getting the guy over. I wanted to redeem myself in the top half and slow them down basically."

RF Connor Brumfield

On his game-winning hit…
"I was just looking fastball the whole time because I had an at-bat against him yesterday and hit a fastball pretty good, so I was just waiting for that fastball. He threw a couple out, so I just took those and that one was right down the middle, so I put a good swing on it."

SS Ryan Howard

On the contributions from the freshmen…
"It means a lot. I have so much confidence in these guys just seeing the work that they've put in going into this season. I was on-deck and I had a great feeling that Connor was going to get it done there so I figured I wasn't even going to get my chance. Brian doing it both ways, it's great to see. They are all taking steps in the right direction."

Postgame Notes

Mizzou now leads the all-time series with Hofstra, 4-0, after sweeping the four-game set.
Mizzou finishes its Florida road trip 7-2 to open the year.
Mizzou picked up its first four-game series sweep with win since defeating Iona in the opening weekend of action in 2015.
Mizzou has now won five consecutive games for the first time since March 10-17 last season when Mizzou won six in a row.
OF Connor Brumfield's walk-off hit was the first for Mizzou since March 21, 2015, when Trey Harris had one against South Carolina, also in extra innings.
This marks Mizzou's first extra-inning game of the season and obviously is the first extra-inning win.
Freshman LHP Michael Plassmeyer tallied career-highs in innings pitched (6.0+), strikeouts (three) and allowed just four hits in his second career start.
CF Jake Ring tallied his first two-out RBI of the season on a single in the sixth to score SS Ryan Howard.
Mizzou's freshmen in the lineup continue to be productive since Wednesday's midweek game at FIU. Since that game, the freshman trio of 2B Ian Nelson, OF Connor Brumfield and INF Brian Sharp have gone a combined 22-for-50 with 12 runs, 17 RBI and 10 walks. In the opening weekend, the trio was just 2-for-21 with two runs and three walks.