Will Sanders turned a 5-2 lead over to his bullpen in the eighth inning, but the relievers couldn’t do the job and Missouri rallied for an 8-7 win to even the series and a game each. Sanders put his team in good shape to go up 2-0 in the series allowing two runs and seven hits, but the combination of Michael Braswell, Aidan Hunter, Michael Esposito and Cade Austin didn’t do the job over the final two innings.
The Gamecocks built their 5-2 lead on a two-run homer by Brandt Belk, solo homers by Carson Hornung and Braylen Wimmer and an RBI single by Braswell.
Missouri rallied in the bottom of the eighth, scoring five runs on a three-run homer and a two-run single to take a 7-5 lead to the ninth. Belk tied the game with a two-run double to left in the top of the ninth. But the Tigers walked off with the win against Braswell by opening the inning with a walk and a single. A sacrifice bunt moved the runners ahead and a sacrifice fly scored the winning run.
The Gamecocks are 13-13 and 3-5 and the Tigers are 16-8 and 2-6.
