In the top of the third inning, the plastic wrapper of a hot dog was blown onto the field and picked up by the batboy for the Texas A&M Aggies. That drew the biggest cheer of the day from the Mizzou contingent at Taylor Stadium on Sunday who watched the Tigers lose 14-3 in the third straight game where the Aggies took it right to the front door that is the Missouri pitching staff and did so early.
Down by eleven after allowing seven in the top of the third, Missouri (17-12, 1-8 SEC) found themselves
in a spot that’s been all too familiar the past three games. More specifically, the third straight game where the Tigers have been trailing by at least eight runs before the fourth inning rolls around.
The clock striking midnight before the halfway point hits hasn’t been a theme that’s been so prevalent up to this point in SEC play for Missouri. Tigers coach Kerrick Jackson has emphasized multiple times in the past, the importance of putting up “zeros” as a pitching staff. As exciting and blistering as the Tigers’ comeback against UIC was, after being down 12-1 past three, it can’t be expected to be the norm once top 25 opposition rolls into town.
Last season, it was the Tigers who rolled into College Station and picked up not only the three-game sweep, but their first SEC wins of the season, capped off by a 10-1 victory in the series finale. A&M well and truly pulled the reversal and in dominant fashion at that, also encapsulating its not sometimes how you finish a game, its how you start.
“We just flush it,” Jackson said. “At the end of the day, we’ve got to look at what we didn’t do well — which this weekend was pitching — and understand what that means. Next week, we have to pitch it better than we did. We’ve proven we’re going to play defense. We’ve proven we can score runs. We’ve proven we can pitch it well at times. We just haven’t had enough games where all three phases are clicking. Getting that figured out and getting all three phases clicking at the same time will put us in a great situation.”
Aggies long ball proves damaging
Eight of the Aggies’ runs on Saturday came via the long ball, as two each were hit by Gavin Grahovac and Nico Partida. The wind at Taylor Stadium blowing out on a sunny Sunday afternoon was a recipe for disaster for the Tigers’ pitching staff that struggled mightily in the three-game series. All in all, five home runs, totaling nine in the past two days for the Aggies.
JD Dohrmann, after being a game time decision for the Tigers on the SEC availability report, acted as the opener, pitching one inning of work while giving up no runs and striking out a batter. Dohrmann was one of two pitchers of the day for Mizzou who put up a zero.
“He just ended up not being healthy,” Jackson said when asked why Dohrmann pitched just the opening frame. “We couldn’t run him back out there, his stuff wasn’t good for where he has been. I think he tried to force it up, and we cautioned him to be honest with us. I think he wanted to go out there and do it, but we couldn’t continue to send him out there when he had below‑average stuff.”
Luke Sullivan came in to replace Dohrmann, after starting earlier in the week on Wednesday against Lindenwood. The Aggies offense got to him early. After a pair of walks and outs, Boston Kellner opened the scoring in the top half of the second with a two-run RBI single.
Gavin Grahovac started off his day-that wasn’t over by a longshot-with a two-run 405 foot shot over the deep center field fence, putting the Aggies up 4-0.
If the third inning was an offense, the fourth was a barnyard explosion. Again, a walk started the baserunning traffic for A&M and one batter later, Blake Binderup, who came a triple short of the cycle Sunday, connected on a two-run shot of his own. For Binderup, it marked his fifth tater shot of the season. That marked the end of Sullivan’s line, six earned runs, two strikeouts and four hits in 1.1 innings pitched.
“Luke, he started against Lindenwood, so that’s a Wednesday start,” Jackson said. “This is the first time he’s gone short‑rested, but we needed to use him. Luke throws strikes, but with some of the pitches we need to execute, he’ll leave stuff over the middle and that’s where we get hurt. But he throws three pitches for strikes, and he’s a true freshman. We’re asking him to grow up at the moment, and that can be tough.”
Ian Lohse, who’s typically played the role of closer this season, came in to stop the bleeding. The A&M offense didn’t have those plans. Jorian Wilson welcomed Lohse to the game with a single and Lohse gave the next two batters free passes with a hit by pitch and a walk.
Bases loaded, up stepped the last person the Tigers needed to face, Grahovac. Four pitches into his at bat, Grahovac continued to tee off as if Taylor Stadium was a local driving range, connecting on a back-breaking grand slam. 10-0 Aggies and the only noise was coming from the pocket of maroon red fans behind the visitors dugout.
In the words of Tom Cruise in a Few Good Men, “the hits just kept on coming.” Caden Sorell hit a follow up solo home run, drawing a mound visit from Mateo Serna to Ian Lohse, draping his arm on the left-hander. Lohse struck out the remaining two batters, ending the inning of 7 runs and four hits.
Fast forward to the top of the seventh, Jake Duer’s solo homer increased the A&M lead to eleven, marking the final run of the game in a fitting way, the long ball. 50 runs in the last five games have been given up by Missouri pitching as a whole.
“At the end of the day, you take the five‑game week, and we had to move McDevitt and Kehlenbrink up, so they were short‑rested,” Jackson said. “Now we’ll be able to go into a situation where they’ll have full rest. We only have four games this week and we’re looking for some other guys to step up and fill in for where JD and Javyn (Pimental) are out. That’s ultimately what it comes down to.”
He continued. “I fully expect next week we’ll get better starts from both McDevitt and Kehlenbrink, because both of their starts this weekend were uncharacteristic. You’re talking about guys who had some of the better numbers in our league in conference play and the short rest with long outings last time didn’t go well for them.”
Peer, Durnin, Ward stand out for the Tigers offense
Kam Durnin continued the kind of weekend that’s reaffirming the why behind the anticipation of his arrival to Jackson’s program. The third‑inning solo shot on Sunday capped off a 6‑for‑12 series that included two doubles, continuing his presence as a reliable bat in the lineup, whether he’s in the leadoff spot or sitting third or fourth in the batting order.
Blaize Ward, reached base all three times for the Tigers and his recent resurgence has come in his eight hits in the last nine games for the freshman, who’s continued to establish himself in the past week.
Kaden Peer’s 3-for-4 day at the plate, three singles and a run scored come as less of a surprise, as he’s been a key bat for Missouri dating back to last season, more encouragingly, he’s shown little reason for concern since coming back from injury on Mar. 3.
UP NEXT
This past weekend might have brought the Tigers a lot of difficulty, this upcoming Tuesday presents them the perfect rebound opportunity. Missouri has the chance to earn what A&M got against them and that was revenge, as the Kansas Jayhawks will come into Columbia for a rivalry clash Tuesday evening. In Lawrence, the Tigers lost 10-0 in run rule fashion; they had the chance to split the season series in the Border War matchup.
“We need to pitch it better and give ourselves a chance to be in that game a little more,” Jackson said. “If we do that, we’ll be just fine.”
After hosting Kansas, the Tigers head back on the road in SEC play to take on No. 19 Kentucky, beginning Friday at 5:30 p.m in Lexhington.
