Vanderbilt Slugs Past @MizzouBaseball in Sunday Rubber Game

Sunday, May 7

Nashville, Tenn.

1:00 PM

University of Missouri

29-20, 9-15

Vanderbilt

29-18, 12-11

Mizzou

Vanderbilt

Vanderbilt Slugs Past @MizzouBaseball in Sunday Rubber Game

5/7/2017 4:29:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

Bond drives in three runs but it’s not enough as Vanderbilt takes series

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Mizzou Baseball dropped the rubber game of a three-game series, 14-5, to Vanderbilt Sunday afternoon at Hawkins Field. Mizzou rallied from down 4-0 to take a 5-4 lead, but Vanderbilt hung three runs in the fourth, two more in the fifth and five in the sixth to put the game away. Mizzou falls to 29-20 on the year and 9-15 in SEC play while Vanderbilt improves to 29-18 and 12-11 in SEC play.

Mizzou junior starter Bryce Montes De Oca (Lawrence, Kan.) took the loss while Vandy freshman LHP Zach King earned the win after settling things down for a Vanderbilt staff that walked seven and hit three more batters through the first four innings. Junior C Brett Bond (St. Louis, Mo.) tallied his 13^th multi-hit game of the season and drove in three of Mizzou's five runs, notching a pair of bases-loaded singles on the day.

After a three-pitch strikeout, Jeren Kendall tagged Montes De Oca for a one-out triple in the bottom of the first, just past a diving Brian Sharp (Liberty, Mo.) at first base. Montes De Oca nearly escaped the jam, getting Julian Infante on strikes and working a 0-2 count on Reed Hayes. But Hayes lined a 1-2 pitch back up the middle to give Vanderbilt and early 1-0 lead.

Mizzou put the first two men on in the second and moved them over on a sacrifice bunt as it looked to even the game. Vandy starter Chandler Day then struck out Sharp and got Ian Nelson (Lake St. Louis, Mo.) to fly out to center field to strand a pair.

The wind factored into a tough second inning for the Tigers. Ethan Paul popped up to open the frame, but the wind hung it up and LF Kameron Misner (Poplar Bluff, Mo.) couldn't get under it and that got the inning started. Vanderbilt loaded the bases with one out for the All-American Kendall. Montes De Oca struck him out for the second out of the inning as he looked like he may get out of the jam. Infante then popped up to shallow left center and Mizzou couldn't get under it as the wind hung it in the perfect spot, allowing all three runs to score on a double.

Mizzou got a pair of runs in the third, one on a Bond bases loaded single and another on a Misner sacrifice fly to the cut the lead to 4-2. Mizzou got into the Vanderbilt bullpen in the third and that paid off in the fourth. Mizzou tallied three hits and drew three walks off reliever Colin Snyder to score three in the inning. Junior OF Johnny Balsamo (Kansas City, Mo.) tallied an RBI single and Bond roped a two-run, bases-loaded single to score two more, giving Mizzou its first lead at 5-4.

Vanderbilt tied the game in the bottom half of the fourth though, taking advantage of a walk and an error in front of a Hayes double. Mizzou went to the bullpen from there and brought in Andy Toelken (Green Cove Springs, Fla.). He struck out JJ Bleday for the second out by C Jason Delay ripped a two-run, two-out single to give Vanderbilt the lead back at 7-5.

Mizzou then went quietly in the fifth and Vanderbilt broke the game open with the two-spot in the bottom half before exploding for five runs in the sixth, capped by Infante's sixth and seventh RBIs of the game as he ripped a double off the wall in left center. That was all that Vanderbilt needed to earn the series win.

Mizzou will be off midweek as it takes its final exams. South Carolina comes to Columbia next weekend for a three-game series beginning Friday at 6:30 p.m. 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 (Missouri Baseball).

Postgame Notes

Mizzou now trails the all-time series with Vanderbilt, 16-1
Mizzou falls to 17-10 in day games this season.
Mizzou falls to 5-7 on Sundays this season and 1-4 in rubber games of SEC series this season.
The Tigers are now 7-5 on the year on the road in league games.
Senior OF Kirby McGuire has now reached base safely in seven consecutive games.
Junior OF Johnny Balsamo tallied his first RBI since Feb. 18 with his RBI single in the fourth inning.
Junior C Brett Bond tallied a pair of bases-loaded hits in a pair of opportunities to tally his team-leading 10^th multi-RBI game this season.