In the final game of the series, the Missouri Tigers baseball team (8-14, 0-6) couldn’t get anything going late, losing 14-6 and allowing No. 24 to complete the sweep. The loss kept the Tigers winless in conference play through the first two series.
The Tigers were the first to get on the board, jumping ahead in the first with a one-out home run from Mateo Serna to right on the first pitch he saw. Missouri held the lead until the Rebels tied it up in the top of the third with a homer of their own.
Missouri answered in the bottom of the third, starting with a leadoff double from Gehrig Goldbeck, who advanced to third on a balk. He was brought in on an RBI single from Kaden Peer to give the Tigers back the lead. The advantage grew further when Jackson Lovich smacked a two-out, two-run blast to right center, putting Missouri up 5-1.
This is when the Tigers began to fall apart, starting with the removal of starter Brady Kehlenbrink, who threw three innings of one-hit, one-run ball with six strikeouts. Missouri turned to the bullpen to finish the game, with Kaden Jacobi being the first of what would end up being seven arms used out of the pen.
After the Tigers' four-run third inning, they were unable to produce much more offense the rest of the game, while the Rebels not only answered back but did so in a big way. After tying it at 5 in the fourth, Ole Miss added nine more runs before the game was over. Missouri managed just one more run in the eighth on an RBI single from Brock Daniels, ultimately losing 14-6.
Kehlenbrink, a freshman left-handed pitcher, had the best outing of his career in this start, allowing just one run in three innings of work while striking out six—both career highs. This performance came in his first career start.
Despite the losses, the Mizzou offense has been on fire, averaging more than six runs per game in conference play, largely thanks to Lovich. Over the last six games, Lovich has recorded 10 hits, five of them for extra bases, raising his average to an almost team-leading .366. Transfer Cayden Nicoletto currently leads the team with a .371 batting average.
Mizzou’s P.J. Green (0-1) took the loss for the Tigers, while Ole Miss' Mason Nichols (2-0) earned the win, with Will McCausland (1) recording the save.
The Tigers will have a midweek game before returning to conference play, facing the Illinois Fighting Illini Tuesday at Grizzlies Ballpark in Sauget, Illinois. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m.