In their opening game of the Andre Dawson Classic, Mizzou baseball defeated Florida A&M 6-5 on Friday night after a back-and-forth contest.
The back-and-forth action began immediately. Mizzou's (2-4) leadoff hitter, Cameron Benson, reached second on an error, and the Tigers put runners on the corners after a one-out walk to sophomore Kaden Peer. The first runs came across when junior transfer Gehrig Goldbeck bunted a single over the pitcher's head. Two more scored when junior Jackson Lovich singled up the middle, giving Mizzou a 3-0 lead in the first inning.
The Rattlers (1-4) responded quickly, starting the inning with a leadoff single and following it up with a two-run homer to left-center off starter Brock Lucas, cutting Mizzou's lead to one. The Tigers added another run in the second on a bases-loaded groundout from Peer, but once again, Florida A&M answered back.
Already leading 4-2 heading into the third, the Tigers stranded a single in the top half before Florida A&M struck again. A double down the right-field line brought in the runners from second and third, tying the game at 4. Both teams scored once more in the fifth—Mizzou on an RBI double play and Florida A&M on a double to right—before both starters were replaced.
The tie held for a couple of innings before the Tigers regained the lead in the top of the eighth. After a one-out double from Benson and a walk to sophomore Mateo Serna, Peer delivered once again, as he has frequently done to start the season. He hit an RBI single up the middle on a fastball left over the plate, giving Mizzou a 6-5 lead.
Mizzou turned to its bullpen to secure the win. After Lucas' five innings of work, senior Kaden Jacobi came in for his second appearance of the season, shutting down the Rattlers' offense and allowing just one run over two innings. Graduates James Vaughn and Xaver Lovett each followed with a shutout inning to finish the game, giving the Tigers a 6-5 victory.
It got a bit shaky at the end when Lovett allowed a stand-up, two-out triple in the bottom of the ninth. However, he managed to close it out, securing the Tigers' much-needed 6-5 victory.
It was another solid day for Peer, who went 1-for-3 with two RBIs. However, Goldbeck was the standout, finishing with a team-leading three hits and adding a walk, one of the team's seven on the day. Both continue to emerge as early stars in the Tigers' lineup.
The Tigers had several more opportunities to score throughout the game, loading the bases on three different occasions but capitalizing only once. Their struggles were compounded by 10 strikeouts and just eight walks. Additionally, the team's defense has been a concern, with an average of nearly two errors per game so far this season.
Mizzou continues its run in the Andre Dawson Classic against Alabama State on Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. in Vero Beach, Florida.
feed