In a rivalry that dates back more than a century, the No. 23 Kansas Jayhawks and Missouri Tigers met for the first game of this season’s home-and-home Border War series. The Jayhawks took the opener, defeating the Tigers 9-3 in Lawrence.
Despite taking an early lead on a solo home run by sophomore Kaden Peer in the top of the first, the Tigers couldn’t hold on. Kansas quickly responded, jumping on Missouri starter Josh Kirchhoff and taking control of the game.
After a one-out single and an error put two runners on, the Jayhawks answered with a three-run homer of their own, quickly taking a 3-1 lead.
Josh Kirchhoff’s final line: 1 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 40-21 (TP-Strikes)
The Jayhawks tacked on six more runs against Missouri pitching to secure the win. The first came in the second inning, when back-to-back hits scored a run and chased starter Josh Kirchhoff from the game. Kansas added two more off right-hander Xavier Lovett in the fourth and another off freshman PJ Green.
Kansas added its final two runs in the eighth inning on a bases-loaded single that snuck into left field, bringing home two runners. A second Missouri error allowed the runners to advance, but the Tigers managed to escape the jam without further damage. Still, the offense couldn’t rally, and Missouri fell 9-3.
The Tigers managed just two more runs after Peer’s first-inning homer. The first came in the third, when back-to-back walks to junior Jackson Lovich and senior Pierre Seals put two on with two outs. A passed ball moved Lovich to third, and during a throwdown to second that caught Seals in a rundown, Lovich dashed home to score Missouri’s second run.
Missouri’s last run came in the seventh, when Peer snuck a ball through the right side of the infield to score Tyler Macon, who had reached on a leadoff error. That brought the game to its final score, 9-3.
Even though the Tigers scored just three runs, they had their chances. Mizzou finished with eight hits and four walks but struggled with runners in scoring position, leaving eight men on base.
Despite the loss, Mizzou saw a few bright spots on both sides of the ball. Junior Brock Lucas, the first arm out of the bullpen, delivered the Tigers’ best pitching performance of the night, tossing two scoreless innings while allowing just one hit and two walks.
At the plate, Peer and Lovich were the only Tigers to record multi-hit games, each collecting two hits. Peer also drove in two of Missouri’s three runs.
The Tigers will return home to Columbia for their next SEC series, hosting the Georgia Bulldogs for a three-game set. Game 1 is scheduled for Friday at 6 p.m. and will be streamed on ESPN+.