For the first time this season, the Missouri Tigers came out on top in an SEC game.
And this time, it was the other team collapsing late in the game.
The Tigers entered the top of the ninth trailing 6-3, but the offense came to live with a six-run ninth to claim a 9-6 win and end a 24-game SEC losing streak.
Keegan Knutson opened the ninth with a single up the middle and stole second before Jedier Hernandez walked and was pinch run for by Isaiah Frost.
Gehrig Goldbeck was hit by a pitch to load the bases for Jackson Lovich, who came through with an infield single, scoring Knutson and leaving the bases loaded.
Then Kaden Peer sent a double down the line in right, scoring Goldbeck and Frost to tie the game without an out.
Tyler Macon then walked, then after a strikeout for the first out, Chris Patterson hit a ground ball and the Aggie shortstop tried to get Lovich at home, but the throw went wild and allowed Lovich and Peer to score, putting the Tigers in front 8-6.
Then a wild pitch allowed Macon to score, completing the Aggie meltdown and Tiger comeback.
But the Tigers have held a lead late in games this season and not closed the door.
This time, Xavier Lovett, a former Aggie, slammed it, getting a ground out, a fly out to left and a fly out on a diving Macon catch in right to end the game.
(I know that says Cayden Nicoletto caught it, it was Macon. Nicoletto throws left handed.)
The Tigers’ first run came in the second when Hernandez singled to score Patterson, tying the game at one before A&M put up a five-run second to pull away.
In the fifth, Lovich launched his 10th home run of the season to score Hernandez and cut the lead to three.
Lovich led the way for the Tiger offense, going 2-for-5 with three RBI and two runs scored. Patterson went 2-for-5 with a run scored, while Hernandez was 2-for-3 with an RBI, a walk and a run scored. Peer had a two-RBI double and a run scored, Mateo Serna had a double and Nicoletto and Goldbeck both had singles. Macon took two walks and scored a run.
Brady Kehlenbrink started and allowed six runs on five hits, two walks and one hit batter in 2.1 innings. He struck out two.
Then the Tigers’ got an elite bullpen performance.
Kaden Jacobi came on for a scoreless 2.2 innings, allowing one hit and two walks, while striking out two. Brock Lucas pitched the next two scoreless frames and allowed just one hit and one walk, while striking out three.
Then Lovett came on for the final two innings, earning the win while allowing just a hit batter as the only baserunner.
The Tigers and Aggies will pair up again at 2 p.m. today and 1 p.m. Sunday as the Tigers look to claim their first SEC series win of the season.
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