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The Missouri Tigers were on the verge of a loss after having held a 7-0 lead.

Then Jackson Lovich came through once again.

Lovich hit an RBI triple in the bottom of the sixth, giving the Tigers a necessary insurance run in a 10-9 win against the Missouri State Bears on Tuesday at Taylor Stadium.

"He's starting to understand where his strength lies," Missouri coach Kerrick Jackson said.

The RBI triple completed a 2-for-4 day with a walk, five RBI and two runs scored as he also gave the Tigers their biggest lead of the day with a second-inning grand slam.

Lovich is up to batting .356 this season with 42 total hits, five doubles, two triples and eight home runs to go with 38 RBI and a .636 slugging percentage.

In the sixth, Lovich's triple scored Keegan Knutson, who had doubled to set up a Kaden Peer groundout that scored Tyler Macon, who ended the day 2-for-4 with two runs scored. Lovich's triple made the score 9-7, then a Cayden Nicoletto single gave the Tigers a 10-7 lead.

PJ Green came on to pitch the final three innings, earning the win as he allowed two runs - both on a home run in the top of the ninth - on two hits and two walks, while striking out two.

"He's been one of our more consistent dudes," Jackson said. "... He's got really good stuff."

Green's day finished a mostly strong day on the mound for the Tigers, started by Wil Libbert, who didn't allow a baserunner until a one-out walk in the third, and didn't allow a hit until an RBI single in the fourth.

But when Libbert went back out for the fifth, holding a 7-1 lead, the Bears jumped on him for a leadoff double, followed by a walk and a hit batter.

"Pitching is not our strong suit right now, so if we could stretch him to get another zero out of him, a quality inning, you want to try and do so," Jackson said.

After loading the bases with no outs, Jackson went to relief pitcher Kadden Drew, who promptly gave up an infield single and a long grand slam to right field to bring Missouri State within 7-6.

Curry Sutherland then tied the game with a solo shot in the top of the seventh off Drew.

Missouri initially broke through in the second inning when Pierre Seals singled and came all the way around to score on a Chris Patterson double into the right-center field gap. Patterson took third on a wild pitch and scored on a Peyton Basler single through the left side of a drawn-in infield.

Macon then doubled to left center to put runners on second and third and Knutson walked before Peer was hit by a pitch for an RBI and Lovich sent his grand slam over the wall in right-center field.

Missouri had 11 total hits, led by two each from Knutson (2-for-3 with a walk and two runs scored), Lovich (2-for-4 with a triple, a home run, a walk, five RBI and two runs scored), Seals (2-for-4 with a run scored) and Macon (2-for-4 with two runs scored).

Libbert ended with a line of 4.0 innings and four runs allowed on two hits, three walks and a hit batter, while striking out seven. Drew pitched 2.0 innings, allowing three runs on four hits, while striking out two.

Missouri (13-23, 0-15 SEC) will host Oklahoma for a weekend series starting with a 7 p.m. game Thursday, then matching up at 6 p.m. Friday and 2 p.m. Saturday.

The Tigers and Bears will play again at 6:30 p.m. next Tuesday in Springfield.