Missouri baseball turned heads taking two of three from No. 24 Kentucky in Lexington, KY, from Friday, April 3, to Sunday, April 5. The series win boosted the Tigers’ record to 19-14 on the season.
Game Three Spectacle for the Tigers
Missouri started quietly in the first, with Sam Rosand doing his work on the mound before Pierr Seals ignited the offense with a double to left field. Blaize Ward, who went 3-3 with two hits by pitches, singled to left center which brought in Seals for an RBI and a 1-0 lead for the Tigers.
Rosand lasted
four strong innings, allowing just two runs from an error, a homer in the third and five hits in total for the Wildcats.
In the top of the fourth, Ward took command, with another single out to left, but runners were left on base after Campos struck out ending the half inning. Rosand did his job here, allowing one hit by pitch and the rest simple outs.
Offense and Defense Shined in the Fifth
More action was brought to the Tigers in the fifth, as Kee Knutson reached on a sacrifice bunt error which brought in Eric Maisonet who walked earlier on. Kam Durnin hit a sacrifice fly which brought in Maisonet, tying the game 2-2.
Kaden Peer hit a single to third and got caught stealing, but Knutson was able to score and bring the Tigers to a 3-2 lead. Soon after, Woita was hit-by-pitch, Seals walked and Blaize came out swinging for the third time this game, with a single to the eight side this time that brought in Woita extending their lead to 4-2.
Cameron Benson walked which moved Blaize over, Campos walked, which caused bases to be loaded and brought Seals in to further their score 5-2 and the inning ended with a flyout.
Juan Villareal came in to pitch during the fifth and lasted till the seventh, allowing no hits and one strikeout, keeping the score 5-2.
Stellar Pitching Finished the Game Off
Bases were loaded for the Tigers once again in the seventh due to walks and a hit-by-pitch, but the inning ended when Campos was out at third.
The eighth inning was a success, as Durnin added a single to right field. Eli Skidmore came in to pitch for the Tigers with a quick inning ended by a walk, strikeout and double-play. Skidmore came out again in the ninth, ending his day with his first collegiate save, allowing just one double and no runs for Kentucky, finishing the series off 2-1 Mizzou.
Mizzou had seven hits in total and only seven strikeouts, which allowed the Tigers to jump out from the start of the game, to finish, and beat a top-25 ranked team in the NCAA. A job well done for the Tigers is an understatement.
Tigers Struck First and Took Game One Against Kentucky
Behind timely hitting and a stellar pitching effort in Josh McDevitt’s eighth start of the season, Missouri opened its weekend in Lexington the right way, knocking off No. 24 Kentucky 5–4 in a close battle.
It did not take long for the game to settle into a pitcher’s duel early, as both McDevitt and Jaxon Jelkin from Kentucky went quietly through the first inning. Kentucky struck first in the second, claiming a run on a sacrifice fly to take a 1–0 lead, but their advantage did not last long.
Missouri Took Charge in the Third
Missouri responded with authority in the third after Durnin sparked the rally and Peer reached to keep the pressure on. Soon after, the Tigers took advantage of a wild pitch to even the score, before Jase Woita delivered an RBI single to give Mizzou its first lead of the night. The inning kept rolling as Seals and Ward added singles, finishing off the inning with three runs for Missouri to take the lead at 3–1.
An inning later, Durnin struck again with his RBI single in the fourth, extending Mizzou’s lead to 4–1. This gave the teams starter McDevitt room for error as he continued to battle. Kentucky, however, did not go away without a fight.
Tough Fourth Inning
The Wildcats took a hold of the fourth inning on a pair of Missouri errors, and came back with two unearned runs, which turned the 4-1 game to a 4-3 game. Despite the pressure, Missouri’s bullpen came in after the fifth and managed to allow just one more run for Kentucky.
The Clutch Ninth Inning from Jordan and the Bullpen
During the final inning of the game, with one out, Knutson doubled to put the go-ahead run in scoring position. Moments later, Donovan Jordan came through with an RBI single to right field, giving the Tigers a 5–4 lead.
From there, Missouri shut the door. The Tigers retired the side in order in the bottom of the ninth, sealing a statement road win and grabbing early control of the series against a ranked opponent.
Missouri finished the night with eleven hits in total and Durnin leading the way with a multi-hit performance, while the pitching staff combined to hold Kentucky’s offense to the very end of a 5-4 victory.
Second Game on the Road was a Toughie
After an opening win for the Tigers against Kentucky, Missouri could not grasp onto their momentum in game two, resulting in a 9-2 loss.
Missouri’s day started shaky, as starter Brady Kehlenbrink allowed a two-run homer out to left center, allowing Kentucky to jump out in front. The Wildcats added another run in the second, but the third inning was a cause for commotion.
A Costly Third Inning
Kentucky did loads of damage in the third, highlighted by a grand slam by Scott Cambell Jr. The bases were loaded because of walks, a hit-by-pitch and a hit, which pushed the Wildcats lead to 8-0. Kehlenbrink, who was solid until then, could not escape the inning.
Mizzou was held scoreless for four innings, managing just one hit, until the Tigers showed some light in the fifth.
Back-to-back hits from Blaize, Jordan and Mateo Serna drove in a run, allowing the Tigers to get on the board. Another run was claimed after Tyler Macon reached on a fielder’s choice, scoring Jordan and extending their score 8-2.
The Tigers had some hope along the way, including a double from Peer in the sixth, but it was not enough to get the game going in Mizzou’s favor.
Kentucky added their last run of the game in the eighth, which sealed their only victory of the series against Mizzou.
Looking Forward
Missouri leaves Lexington with a statement series win over a top-25 opponent and now returns home for a midweek matchup against Missouri State. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. CT on Tuesday at Taylor Stadium.
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