KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Despite battling back from a two-run deficit to take Kansas to extra innings for the second time in eight days, University of Missouri baseball dropped a 4-3 decision to the Jayhawks, who scratched out the game-winning run in the top of the 10th inning to salvage a season split with the Tigers Tuesday evening at Kauffman Stadium.
Collier Cranford’s sacrifice fly brought in pinch runner Tyler Gerety for the decisive run, and Hunter Cranton (2-0) worked a scoreless home half to secure the win for KU, snapping a four-game skid in the series vs. Mizzou.
The Jayhawks (11-8) took advantage of a leadoff double by Jake English on a fly ball that fell untouched in shallow right-center field to start the game’s critical rally. Next, a fly ball to deep right off the bat of Luke Leto moved the runner to third, before Cranford shook off an 0-for-4 start to his night by lofting a long fly to left that allowed Gerety to score easily from third.
The setback for the Tigers (9-12) — their fourth straight since edging the Jayhawks in 10 innings last Tuesday — overshadowed a comeback that saw MU score two times in the home half of the fifth to knot the score at 3-3. Jeric Curtis sparked the rally with a leadoff bunt single, before moving into scoring position on a ground out. With two out in the inning, Curtis swiped third for his sixth steal of the season, then trotted home on an errant throw to pull Mizzou to within one run.
Moments later, Jackson Lovich completed the comeback, unloading on Evan Shaw’s full-count offering and driving his sixth home run of the season over the center field wall.
From there, Mizzou’s Brock Lucas kept the Jayhawks in check, retiring 13 straight batters over 4 1/3 hitless innings of relief. The sophomore right-hander struck out five hitters and issued just two walks.
Four Jayhawks relievers combined to hold the Tigers scoreless down the stretch as well. Mizzou put a pair of baserunners aboard in both the eighth and ninth innings, only to see the KU relief corps come up with rally-killing outs each time. First, Tegan Cain stranded runners at the corners with a strikeout to end the eighth, before Cranton ended the ninth by inducing an inning-ending fly ball to right with the potential winning run at second base.
Lovich, who tripled and scored in the second for Mizzou’s first run of the game, led the Tigers with a 2-for-4 night at the plate.
In addition to Lucas’s dominant mound effort, Ian Lohse logged 2.0 scoreless innings of relief to help keep the Tigers within striking distance after the Jayhawks seized an early 2-0 lead.
English powered the KU attack with a 2-for-5 performance, while Cranton worked 2.0 hitless innings to earn the victory. Shaw also logged a strong effort over the first 5.0 innings, recording six of the 12 strikeouts registered by Kansas pitchers.
TIGER NOTEBOOK
- With its first setback to the Jayhawks since May 18, 2021, Missouri drops to 220-130-2 all-time vs. Kansas.
- Josh McDevitt worked 2.0 innings in his first career start as a Tiger, working a scoreless first inning before surrendering a pair of runs in the second.
- Lovich’s fifth-inning homer was his seventh as a Tiger and marked his 20th RBI of the season.
- Matt Garcia’s single in the eighth inning was the 130th of his collegiate career.
- Lucas matched a career high with his 4 1/3 innings, while his five strikeouts represented a season high.
- Mizzou fell to 1-5 vs. the Jayhawks at Kauffman Stadium.
UP NEXT
Mizzou returns to Southeastern Conference play this weekend, opening a three-game series against No. 25 Kentucky this Friday (March 22) with a 6 p.m. (CDT) contest at Taylor Stadium.
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