ATHENS, Ga. – Luke Mann launched a pair of home runs while Spencer Miles spun a gem on the mound to spark Missouri baseball to an 11-3 victory over Georgia on Thursday night at Foley Field.
Mann reached all six times he stepped to the plate, going 2-for-2 with the two homers, a pair of walks and two hit-by-pitches. The third baseman produced five RBI to lead the Mizzou (27-22, 9-19 SEC) onslaught. Trevor Austin added a two-hit night with three RBI while Ty Wilmsmeyer homered in the win.
Miles (5-5) orchestrated the most complete outing of his season with seven innings of two-run work. The right-hander struck out a career-high 12 Bulldogs while issuing just one walk.
Mann opened the game with a leadoff home run to give Mizzou a 1-0 lead. Georgia (34-19, 14-14 SEC) tied the game with three hits in the bottom of the first before the Tigers broke the game open in the third. Mizzou would tack on insurance runs in the fifth, sixth and eighth to cruise to the series-opening win.
IMPACT INNING
With the game tied 1-1 in the third, the Tigers jumped all over the Dawgs with a six-run inning. Josh Day and Torin Montgomery started the frame with back-to-back singles. A walk to Fox Leum loaded the bases before Nander De Sedas put the Tigers in front with an RBI single. Ross Lovich pushed another across with a hit-by-pitch to make it 3-1 Mizzou.
A pitching change led to two strikeouts as Georgia aimed to limit the damage, but Mann delivered the big knock for the crooked number. With a 1-2 count, Mann connected with an elevated fastball and sent it soaring deep into the trees beyond the right field wall for a grand slam and 7-1 advantage.
TOP TIGERS
Luke Mann: 2-for-2, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 3 R, 2 BB, 2 HBP
Spencer Miles: 7.0 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 12 K
Trevor Austin: 2-for-6, 3 RBI
IN THE NOTES
- Mann’s two home run game moved the third baseman into a tie for sixth in the Mizzou single-season record book with 17 homers on the year. The 17 long balls are the most by a Tiger since Cody Ehlers launched 18 in 2004.
- The performance was Mann’s second two-homer game of the season (April 3 vs. South Carolina).
- Miles recorded his second-consecutive quality start with the career-high 12 strikeouts.
- Mizzou hit three or more homers for the eighth time this season.
- Mann’s five RBI mark the most in a single game by a Tiger since 2019.
- The top four of the Mizzou order all had multi-hit games with Josh Day (3-for-6) and Torin Montgomery (2-for-3) joining Mann and Austin with big days at the plate.
- Wilmsmeyer’s home run was his third of the season.
- The Mizzou pitching staff struck out 16 Bulldogs, tying the program record for strikeouts in an SEC game. It was the most in a nine-inning SEC game for the Tigers.
FROM THE SKIP
Coach Bieser on the big win to open the series…
“Just a well-played game by everybody. I thought Spencer Miles was very good on the mound tonight and I thought our at-bats were laser focused, locked in, and the guys just really supported each other as a team tonight.”
UP NEXT
Mizzou and Georgia meet for game two of the series on Friday night. First pitch is set for 5:30 p.m. CT on SEC Network +.
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