@MizzouBaseball Drops Rubber Game vs. Georgia, 5-2

Sunday, May 15

Columbia, Mo.

1 p.m.

University of Missouri

25-27, 8-19

Georgia

26-26, 10-17

Georgia

Mizzou

5/15/2016 4:38:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Baseball got a solo homer from senior 1B Zach Lavy (Auxvasse, Mo.) who continued his stellar season, but Mizzou fell, 5-2, in the rubber game against Georgia Sunday (May 15) at Taylor Stadium. Georgia starter Heath Holder was tremendous, earning his fourth win of the season after going 7.0 innings, allowing just four hits with nine strikeouts. He was also able to pitch around five walks. Mizzou starter Michael Plassmeyer (St. Louis, Mo.) picked up the loss after going 4.2 innings, allowing seven hits and two runs while walking none and striking out five.

Georgia got on the board in the top of the fourth on a no-doubt homer by catcher Micahel Curry, his third of the series and 11^th of the season. UGA then tacked on another run in the fifth on a two-out RBI single by Skyler Weber, scoring Mitchell Webb, who had struck out to lead off the frame but reached on a wild pitch. That chased Plassmeyer from the game.

Mizzou reliever Austin Tribby (Springfield, Mo.) appeared to be cruising, but he ran into trouble in the seventh as he walked the bases loaded. RHP Nolan Gromacki (Smithville, Mo.) relieved Tribby and allowed two hits to clear the bases and give UGA a 5-0 lead through 6.5.

Lavy then hit his eighth homer of the season, which leads the team, to start the bottom of the seventh. Mizzou then put two more men on after a Brett Bond (St. Louis, Mo.) walk and a Brian Sharp (Liberty, Mo.) single. But a pair of strikeouts stranded a pair as UGA took a 5-1 lead into the eighth inning.

Mizzou loaded the bases with no outs in the eighth inning and brought up Lavy, who hit a grand slam yesterday in the eighth inning, but he struck out. Trey Harris (Powder Springs, Ga.) then hit into an RBI fielder's choice to cut the lead to 5-2 but Bond struck out to strand a pair.

The Tigers got a pair of two-out hits in the ninth, but couldn't get the timely hit to extend the game.

Mizzou will close its home schedule on Tuesday as it welcomes former Big 12 rival Oklahoma for a 4 p.m. first pitch at Taylor Stadium. For all the latest on all things Mizzou Baseball, stay tuned to MUTigers.com and follow the team on twitter @MizzouBaseball and like the team on Facebook and Instagram (Mizzou Baseball).

Hear From Mizzou
Head Coach Tim Jamieson

Opening Statement…
"They pitched it really well and we had some chances late, had the right guys up at the right time, and we didn't get the key hit. That's the way baseball goes a lot of times. We broke down a little bit in the seventh inning throwing strikes, which we haven't done the last four or five weekends in conference. Every run matters when you aren't scoring. It made it much more difficult to come back. But eighth and ninth, we had chances."

Senior 1B Zach Lavy

On his homer…
"I was looking fastball and he threw me a cutter first pitch and I had a terrible swing. I know our team needed a spark, and I was trying to be that guy. Ended up getting a couple runs that inning and the next inning, but they held us off."

On the team's chances to make the SEC Tournament…
"Even before this game, if the season ended right now, we would still be in. We are just trying to go out there and do stuff and get wins. Basically, we're just battling our butts off right now.

Game Notes

Despite the loss, Mizzou still leads the all-time series with Georgia, 7-5.
Mizzou falls to 4-6 on Sundays this season.
Jake Ring stole his SEC leading 25^th stolen base of the season. The 25 steals are the third-most ever in a single season at Mizzou and the most since Torre Tyson stole 37 in 1998.
Senior Zach Lavy hit his team-leading eighth homer of the season and second of the series in the seventh inning. It was also his SEC-leading 33^rd extra-base hit. His eight homers are the most since Dane Opel hit 11 homers in 2012.