Something clicked for Mizzou baseball (15-35, 2-24) this past weekend. After starting the season 0-24 in conference play, the Tigers traveled to College Station and took the series over preseason No. 1 Texas A&M, winning 4-1 on Saturday.
The Tigers kicked off the second game exactly how they ended the first — on fire. After back-to-back singles from Jackson Lovich and Pierre Seals to start the game, Seals was thrown out trying to stretch his hit into a double, leaving a runner on third. Kaden Peer followed with a sacrifice fly to get the Tigers on the board right away.
That sacrifice fly was followed by Chris Patterson’s second home run of the year — a solo shot — to put the Tigers up 2-0 in the top of the first.
Those early runs backed up what turned out to be a stellar day for Tiger pitching, as the staff allowed just two hits over nine innings.
Sam Horn started on the bump for Mizzou and was untouchable. After a leadoff walk and a one-out fielder’s choice, Horn retired the next six batters in order, four of them via strikeout. In the middle of an at-bat, however, the game was delayed nearly two hours due to weather.
Sam Horn’s final line: 2.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K, 36 TP
When the game resumed, the Tigers turned to Tony Neubeck to replace Horn, opting not to send him back out after such a long delay — and just like Horn, Neubeck was excellent.
After finishing the third-inning at-bat that Horn started with a strikeout, Neubeck went on to pitch three more innings, allowing just two hits while walking one and striking out four. He was followed by back-to-back scoreless innings from PJ Green and Xavier Lovett, who pitched for the second time in as many days.
The Tigers added two more runs in the eighth and ninth innings with RBI doubles from Keegan Knutson and Pierre Seals, extending their lead to 4-0 heading into the bottom of the ninth.
The Aggies scored their only run in the bottom of the ninth after Mizzou’s Ian Lohse loaded the bases, prompting a pitching change. A Tigers error on a ground ball allowed the run to score, but it wasn’t enough for a comeback, as Mizzou held on for a 4-1 win.
After going winless in SEC play until this weekend, the Tigers are now walking away with their first series win over the Aggies since 2021, when Texas A&M visited Taylor Stadium for a three-game set.
Aside from the strong pitching, the Tigers were also boosted by big days at the plate from several hitters. Jackson Lovich and Pierre Seals each collected three hits, with Lovich adding a run scored and Seals driving in one. Freshman outfielder Tyler Macon also had a multi-hit game, finishing with two hits and a run scored.
Neubeck (1-4) earned the win after the rain delay, with Lohse picking up his first save of the season. The Aggies' Justin Lamkin (3-7) was credited with the loss.