Mizzou Baseball splits Evansville series with loss

The Tigers missed several late opportunities and gave up five runs in the ninth

Mizzou Baseball missed multiple opportunities late in the game Sunday, stranding eight runners and scoring just five runs on 15 hits in its 9-5 loss to Evansville. The Tigers trailed by one run entering the ninth but allowed five runs to put the game out of reach.

Brock Lucas cruised through the first two innings for Mizzou and was nearing another quick inning when Kaden Peer came just short of making a highlight-level catch on Ty Rumsey’s line drive to center field.

The Purple Aces capitalized on the opportunity one at bat later when Harrison Taubert hit a two run home run to left field, taking a 2-0 lead in the top of the third.

The Tigers’ bats woke up with a bang in the bottom half of the inning.

Jackson Lovich put the home team on the board with a solo home run to the deepest part of left-center field, cutting the deficit in half.

But Lucas ran into command struggles in the top of the fourth, walking Drew McConnell to start the inning and throwing a wild pitch which advanced McConnell to second.

The visitors got back-to-back singles from Kevin McCormick and Drew Howard, scoring McConnell, then Lucas hit Mason McCue with a pitch to load the bases. Kerrick Jackson went to the bullpen early, bringing in Kaden Jacobi with one out.

He hit Rumsey with a pitch, bringing in another Evansville run to make it 4-1. Jacobi settled in from there, though, recording two straight outs to strand the bases loaded and limit the damage.

Lucas ended with a final line of five hits and four earned runs allowed in 3.1 innings pitch, walking one batter and striking out three.

Mizzou cut into the deficit, 4-2, on a two out rally in the sixth. Brock Daniels doubled to left-center field and advanced to third on a wild pitch, scoring when Tyler Macon legged out an infield single.

That half was sandwiched in between innings where the Tigers narrowly avoided surrendering more runs, stranding a combined five runners in the sixth and seventh as Jacobi’s control faltered.

Freshman Brady Kehlenbrink replaced him in the seventh with two outs and the bases loaded, getting a groundout to strand all three Evansville runners when Mateo Serna made a nice pick on Trey Lawrence’s throw over from shortstop.

Mizzou put runners on first and second to begin the seventh with two infield singles, then Lovich advanced both with a bunt. But the Tigers failed to capitalize on a key opportunity, stranding both runners in scoring position when reliever Drew Fieger entered and recorded three straight outs (starting with Lovich).

Kehlenbrink barely held off the Purple Aces again in the eighth, stranding two more runners for a total of five over 1.1 innings of work at that point.

Mizzou got out to another quick start in the bottom half of the inning, getting singles from Cayden Nicoletto and Daniels before Nicoletto advanced to third on Tyler Macon’s flyout.

Daniels stole second during Yadi Hernandez’s at bat, putting both runners in scoring position with one out, and Nicoletto scored when Hernandez grounded out to third base to make it a 4-3 ballgame.

Peyton Basler struck out swinging to end the frame, though, putting the Tigers behind by one run entering the ninth.

That’s when Kehlenbrink, who barely held Evansville at bay in the prior two innings, completely lost control of the strike zone. The freshman got two early outs but walked the bases loaded, then hit Rumsey with a pitch to surrender a run.

Taubert followed up with a bases-clearing double to left, giving the visitors a five run advantage. Ben Smith was pressed into action after throwing 1.2 innings on Friday and immediately gave up a Jake McGhee single to center, making it 9-3, before ending the inning.

The team made a late push with three singles, scoring Lovich and then plating Peer on a wild pitch to close the gap to four runs. But Kellen Roberts took care of business for Evansville, clinching the visitors’ second win of the series and third of the season.

The loss drops Mizzou back to .500 with a 6-6 record.

The team’s starting rotation is starting to become clear as Lucas has struggled with his conversion to a starting role, looking better suited for a relief role.

“He’s been off to a rough start, and we’re trying to create some opportunities to kind of get him going again,” Jackson said. “So I think we’ve just got to get him in the bullpen and figure out what’s going on with him.”

Meanwhile, Ian Lohse, Kadden Drew and Wil Libbert have all found success starting this season. Last year’s midweek starter, Daniel Wissler, will complete the picture when he returns from injury closer to the start of SEC play.

But the Tigers’ bullpen continues to cost them games with its extreme lack of depth.

True freshman Brady Kehlenbrink stranded five batters in his first two innings of work, getting a crucial out after entering mid-inning in the seventh for Kaden Jacobi but creating a jam in the eighth, and would likely have exited if Mizzou had any fresh, viable arms available.

But the Tigers simply didn’t. The combination of mounting injuries, a young group of pitchers and struggles drawing interest from proven options in the portal due to minimal NIL offerings has been deadly for this team early on.

“We’re still giving up two out hits or walking guys with two outs. We’re getting the first two outs of the inning very quickly, and then we just can’t finish,” Jackson said. “We’ve got to figure out where our guys’ mindset is at and what’s causing us to have those lapses at that time.”

Kerrick Jackson’s squad has scraped by with the help of a solid offense, but the Tigers’ attack left five runners in scoring position and stranded eight total runners. Jackson said the big moments may have gotten to some of the team’s hitters.

“Yes, there is a heightened sense of urgency because there’s a runner in scoring position, but mentally you’ve got to go about it the same way,” he said, “because if you amp yourself up too much, you’re going to catch yourself doing things like we did.”

Cayden Nicoletto continues to establish himself as the regular starter in right field, going 4-5 with a run scored and an RBI. Meanwhile, Jackson Lovich is beginning to look like the offensive leader expected before the season with a 2-4 day, scoring two runs and batting one in.

Mizzou is 3-1 in games after losses and will have a chance to improve on that stat Tuesday against SEMO. First pitch is at 6 p.m. and the game will be broadcast on SEC Network+.