Mizzou scores last, takes series opener from Kentucky for ranked road win
By David Wasson
Published:
The Missouri baseball team earned a clutch road victory Friday night, taking down No. 22 Kentucky 5-4 at Kentucky Proud Park.
Mizzou (18-13 overall, 2-8 SEC) can win the weekend series by taking Saturday’s second game (Noon ET, SEC Network+). Kentucky (22-7, 5-5) lost for just the second time at home and is 14-2 in Lexington this season.
Dono Jordan was the difference-maker for the Tigers on Friday, singling home Kee Knutson with one out in the ninth. Reliever Trey Lawrence (2-0), who pitched the final three innings for Mizzou, delivered a flawless ninth on the mound to secure the victory.
Trailing 1-0, Mizzou stormed to a 3-1 lead in the third on a Kentucky wild pitch and RBI singles by Jase Woita and Blaize Ward. Kam Durnin added an RBI single in the fourth for a 4-1 lead.
Kentucky cut that lead to 4-3 in the bottom of the fourth via RBI singles from Carson Hansen and Luke Lawrence and then tied it up in the sixth with a Jayce Tharnish RBI single.
Jackson Soucie (0-1) took the loss for Kentucky. Tharnish and Hansen each had two hits for the Wildcats. Durnin went 3-for-5 for Mizzou and Ward finished with two hits.
An APSE national award-winning writer and editor, David Wasson has almost four decades of experience in the print journalism business in Florida and Alabama. His work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times and several national magazines and websites. His Twitter handle: @JustDWasson.
