AUSTIN, Texas \u2013 Mizzou baseball dropped the\u00a0opener of a three-game Southeastern Conference series at No. 6 Texas, 6-3, Thursday night at Disch-Falk Field.<\/p>\n
Jase Woita<\/a> led off the ballgame with his team-leading 12th home run of the season to give the Tigers (23-28, 6-22 SEC) an early advantage, but the first-inning offensive spark was not enough to catapult Mizzou to victory.<\/p>\n Junior right-hander Josh McDevitt<\/a> made his 14th start of the season and went three innings, allowing one run on three hits and a pair of walks, striking out three Longhorns (38-12, 17-10 SEC) before being relieved by lefty Dane Bjorn<\/a> due to pitch count<\/p>\n Mizzou enjoyed its one-run lead until the bottom of the third inning when Texas evened the score with a sacrifice fly. The game remained tied until the Longhorns took their first lead of the game on second sac-fly in the bottom of the fifth.<\/p>\n In the sixth, a two-run home run by Texas’ Casey Borba followed by a two-out RBI single put the Longhorns in front, 5-1.<\/p>\n After a scoreless seventh inning by both sides, Mizzou rallied for two runs in the top of the eighth, sparked by a double by nine-hole hitter Jamal George<\/a>. Woita came to the plate and smacked another double to drive in his second run of the day before catcher Mateo Serna<\/a> singled through the left side to plate Woita and make it a 5-3 game.<\/p>\n The Longhorns answered in the bottom half with a solo home run off the bat of Carson Tinney to extend Texas’ lead back to three. Texas turned to freshman-phenom closer Sam Cozart for the ninth and he retired the Tigers in order to give the Longhorns the series-opening victory, 6-3.<\/p>\n NOTEBOOK<\/p>\n
The Tigers are back at Disch-Falk Field on Friday night for game two of the series versus the sixth-ranked Longhorns with first pitch scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CT. All Mizzou baseball games can be streamed on the Varsity Network by Learfield<\/a>, with longtime play-by-play announcer Tex Little on the call and Matt Michaels providing color.<\/p>\n FOLLOW THE TIGERS
\n\tWoita slugged his 12th home run of the season to lead off the game \u2013 his second leadoff homer of the season (vs. Arkansas, April 23) and third for the Tigers overall. He ended the night 2-for-4 with a home run, a double, two RBI and two runs scored.
\n\tGeorge went 1-for-3 from the nine spot in the order with a double and a run scored.
\n\tSerna ended the night 1-for-4 with an RBI.
\n\tRedshirt-freshman and Texas transfer Donovan Jordan<\/a> went 1-for-3 in his return to Austin.
\n\tShortstop Kam Durnin<\/a> went 1-for-3 with a walk.
\n\tBjorn suffered the loss to fall to 0-1 on the season, going 2.2 innings and allowing four runs (three earned) on three hits and four walks. He struck out three Longhorns.
\n\tFreshman Eli Skidmore<\/a> worked a scoreless 1.1 IP, striking out one and walking one.
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