Mizzou baseball (12-23, 0-15 SEC) remains winless in conference play after dropping both games of a doubleheader to Florida on Saturday, allowing the Gators to complete a series sweep. The Tigers have not won a game in Gainesville in nine years, with their last victory there coming in 2006.
Game 1
Game 1 of the doubleheader was all Florida, as everything seemed to go wrong for Missouri.
Once again, pitching—both starting and relief—let the Tigers down. After Missouri starter Kaden Jacobi (2-5) tossed two scoreless innings, a hit-by-pitch to lead off the third opened the door for Florida. The Gators took advantage with a one-out RBI single to go up 1-0.
The Gators' second run came in the next inning when a one-out hit-by-pitch scored on an RBI triple, giving Florida a 2-0 lead. The Tigers had a chance to respond with a single, but the Gators capped a three-run sixth inning, extending their lead to 5-0.
After a leadoff walk and a groundout left a runner on first with one out, Jacobi was pulled in favor of right-hander James Vaughn. Vaughn issued a walk to start his outing, then gave up back-to-back RBI hits — a run-scoring single followed by a two-run double — to push Florida’s lead to 5-0.
Vaughn faced just three more batters, recording only one out before head coach Kerrick Jackson turned to the bullpen again, bringing in freshman P.J. Green. Green opened his outing with a walk to load the bases but escaped the jam with a fielder’s choice.
Jacobi’s final line: 5.1 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 4 BB, 3 K, 86-48 (Total pitches-Strikes)
Offensively, the Tigers couldn’t get anything going for the second straight game against the Gators. With just four hits and two walks as a team, it marked one of Missouri’s weakest performances at the plate all season.
The only Tigers’ hitter to reach base more than once in the game was senior Pierre Seals, who continues his stretch of dominance as of late, going 1-2 with a single and a walk. Over the past nine games, Seals is hitting a ridiculous .444 (12-27) with five walks and two home runs.
Game 2
The only Missouri hitter to reach base more than once was senior Pierre Seals, who continued his recent hot streak by going 1-for-2 with a single and a walk. Over his last nine games, Seals is batting .444 (12-for-27) with five walks and two home runs.
The Tigers struck first in Game 2, when Seals stayed hot in his first at-bat by launching a solo home run over the right-center wall to give Missouri a 1-0 lead. The homer raised his season average to .309, which ranks third on the team.
Missouri held the lead until the bottom of the fourth. After issuing a leadoff walk, the Tigers gave up a one-out, two-run homer later in the inning, giving Florida its first runs of the game and a 2-1 lead. That advantage didn’t last long, as Mizzou’s Cayden Nicoletto tied the game with a solo shot on the first pitch of the sixth inning.
Mizzou got its best pitching performance of the series in Game 2, starting with Tony Neubeck. Making just his second start of the season, Neubeck kept the Gators in check for as long as head coach Kerrick Jackson allowed, careful not to overextend his arm as he continues to work back from injury.
Neubeck’s final line: 2.1 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, 43-28 (Total pitches-Strikes)
Once Neubeck exited, the Gators began to generate some offense. Xavier Lovett, who came on in relief and gave up the two-run homer in the fourth, settled in and held Florida scoreless over the next two innings, taking the game into the bottom of the seventh.
With the game tied at 2 in the bottom of the seventh, the Gators loaded the bases after a hit-by-pitch, a double and a one-out intentional walk. Florida capitalized with a walk-off single down the first base line, securing a 3-2 win and its fourth SEC victory of the season.
Despite giving up the winning run, Lovett turned in a solid outing. He went four innings — his second-longest appearance of the season — allowing three runs on three hits while striking out four. His biggest issue, like many pitchers on the roster, was free passes. Lovett allowed seven batters to reach base without a hit: six via walks and one on a hit-by-pitch.
Lovett (1-2) took the loss in Game 2, while Florida’s Alex Philpott (1-3) earned his first win of the season.
The Tigers will return to Columbia for their next game, facing Missouri State in the first of a home-and-home series. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. at Taylor Stadium, and the game will be streamed on ESPN+.