NORMAL, Ill. – Mizzou Baseball (7-10) won its first series of the 2021 season after a 12-7 win on the road against Illinois State Sunday afternoon. The offense exploded for double-digit runs for the second consecutive game.
Senior Brandt Belk led the way at the plate with another two hits in Sunday’s contest to finish the weekend a red-hot 8-for-16, including a double, walk and two RBIs in the finale. Redshirt sophomore Luke Mann also made his mark in the box, blasting a tape-measure home run over the scoreboard in right field.
Sophomore Torin Montgomery tallied a career-tying three RBIs, including a critical two-run single in the sixth inning to give the Tiger lead breathing room.
After a tense late-inning comeback attempt from the Redbirds, the Tigers tacked on two big insurance runs in the top of the ninth to cement the victory.
#ShowMe Top Performers
- Torin Montgomery: 2-for-5, R, 3 RBI
- Brandt Belk: 3-for-4, 2 R, 3 RBI, 2B, BB
- Mark Vierling: 2-for-3, 2 R, BB
- Andrew Vail: 3.2 IP, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 H, 7 BB, 8 K
Hear from the Skipper
Head coach Steve Bieser on taking the series…
“It was a good team win. Everybody competed and we’re getting out of here with a series win. The key was how we started, coming out hot again and getting locked in early.”
#MIZ Takeaways
- Junior Andrew Vail fanned a career-high eight batters in his start, while only giving up one hit.
- Junior Joshua Day continued his on-base streak, tallying a hit, a walk and a hit-by-pitch. The streak now stands at 16 games.
- The Tigers tallied 14 hits in the game, including at least one hit from eight of the nine starters. Brandt Belk, Mark Vierling, Joshua Day, Torin Montgomery, Jackson Lancaster and Mike Coletta each collected multiple hits.
- Sophomore Torin Montgomery helped the cause with a career-tying three RBIs to lead the team on the day.
Up Next
Mizzou Baseball will begin SEC play on Friday, March 19, in a weekend series against Kentucky in Lexington, Ky. The series opener is tabbed for 5:30 p.m. CT. The Tigers and Wildcats will also play Saturday and Sunday games, with first pitches at 1 p.m. CT and 11 a.m. CT, respectively.
Visit MUTigers.com for the latest information on all things Mizzou Baseball. You can also find the Tigers on social media by liking us on Facebook (Mizzou Baseball) and following us on Twitter (@MizzouBaseball) and Instagram (Missouri_Baseball).
