After a doubleheader on Saturday, the Missouri Tigers lost the final game, splitting the series against the Binghamton Bearcats with a 5-2 loss in a shortened seven-inning game on Sunday at Taylor Stadium.
"A lack of focus, not very good," was all that head coach Kerrick Jackson had to say about his team following the game.
In a game that was only slated for seven innings due to travel complications from Binghamton, no inning was allowed to start after 3:15 p.m. CST, putting a limit on the amount of baseball that could be played in their series finale.
After both teams traded runs in the first inning, with Mizzou’s coming on an RBI groundout from starting catcher Mateo Serna—his team-leading 19th of the season—Binghamton took control of the game.
In starter Kaden Jacobi’s second inning of work, he allowed the Bearcats to put up four runs—two coming on a two-RBI double and the other two on back-to-back pitches: a wild pitch and a passed ball. This gave the Bearcats a 5-1 lead in just the second inning.
The bottom half of the second inning is when things got a little strange for the Tigers. After a one-out single from Jackson Lovich, freshman Trey Lawrance came in to pinch-hit for starting second baseman Payton Basler, who was pulled after recording an error at second base before even taking an at-bat in the game.
"We can't have those kinds of mistakes," Jackson said about the changes after the game. "You get a routine ground ball, we have to make routine plays. We can't lose focus on the runner at third base and just let it slip on a fastball. It's just not acceptable."
Heading to the top of the third, Lawrance took Basler’s spot at second base, but there was another unexpected defensive change when fellow catcher Jedier Hernandez entered the game behind the plate for Serna to catch new pitcher Brady Kehlenbrink.
In his two innings of work, Kehlenbrink shut down the Bearcats' offense, not allowing any runners in scoring position. He was taken out after just two innings, allowing only one hit and striking out three.
After Kehlenbrink, the Tigers turned to righty Ben Smith, who continued what Kehlenbrink started. Tossing two innings, Smith allowed no runs, gave up only three hits, and struck out three—almost identical to the line Kehlenbrink finished with.
The Tigers made an attempt to crawl back with a solo shot from Cayden Nicoletto, his second of the season and second in two games, bringing the Tigers within three. Later, in the bottom of the seventh, the Tigers had two men on with two outs, bringing the tying run to the plate.
Brock Daniels was brought in to pinch-hit, and after a long at-bat, he struck out to end the game, giving the Tigers a 5-2 loss and moving their record back to .500 at 8-8.
This was not a typical showing for the Tigers' offense, which has been averaging close to eight runs per game this season. Today, they were only able to muster three hits after their run in the first inning.
The Tigers' bullpen had a great game, combining for five innings of shutout baseball. Between the three pitchers, they allowed only five hits in those five innings while striking out six and walking none.
Nicoletto has been putting the team on his back. In their last eight games, he has collected 15 hits, including a pair of four-hit days, and has reached base safely in every game he has played in except one. He is currently riding a seven-game hit streak and an 11-game on-base streak.
Jacobi (2-1) was credited with the loss in the game, while Binghamton’s Colin Rhein (1-3) earned the win and Jake Dally was awarded the save.
"It's an interesting task when you're playing a game, right?" Jackson said about the team heading into next weekend. "This is something they say they love to do, but when they can't come out and they're focused on the wrong things and we're not getting the right result, then that's where it's on me to figure out, okay, how do I get them to be locked in and understand what it is. It's not the game they played when they were the best player on the field, and then just kind of go out there and do whatever."
The Tigers now have to shake this off as they head into next weekend for the start of conference play. They will kick it off by heading to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to take on the LSU Tigers, starting on Friday at 6:30 p.m.