With Missouri baseball hoping to grab at least one win in the series, the Tigers came up just short, battling to the finish in their final game against Oklahoma on Sunday, April 19.
Left-hander Javyn Pimental set the tone early for Mizzou, working a composed opening inning that included a double play, a pair of walks and a key throwout at second to escape early traffic.
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Kaden Peer provided that lone early spark with a single to left, but a batter interference call on Pierre Seals quickly ended that inning.
The Sooners struck first that same inning, with a home run to center, followed shortly by a triple and multiple hits that forced the Tigers into an early bullpen situation. Keyer Gonzalez came on in relief in the second and recorded a strikeout, but Oklahoma continued to apply pressure and added another run, making the score 4-0 before he could fully settle the inning.
Gonzalez later found his rhythm on the mound, mixing in two strikeouts and limiting damage after a defensive shift that saw Isaiah Frost and Tyler Macon switch positions.
Still, Oklahoma’s big swing came in the fourth inning, when Ian Lohse came in to relieve Gonzalez during the middle of the inning, when a three-run home run to right pushed the lead to 8–0. Sooners
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Offensively, Missouri was held quite early by Oklahoma starter Cord Rager, who worked through the first five innings with eight strikeouts while allowing just one hit.
Slight Hope for Mizzou
The Tigers’ offense finally broke through in seventh inning. Kam Durnin launched a 398-foot home run for his fourth of the season to put Mizzou on the board at 8–1. Isaiah Frost followed with a single, and while the inning ended on a double play, it gave Missouri its first real momentum of the day.
Defensively, the Tigers had bright spots throughout. Juan Villareal and Kaden Drew each turned in steady relief innings, while Sam Rosand benefitted from a highlight catch by Peer in center field that took away extra bases. Isaiah Salas also worked a clean frame, allowing one hit with a double play and strikeout.
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The late push came in the eighth. Peer sparked it again with a single, Eric Maisonet followed with another hit and Tyler Macon worked a walk to load the bases. Blaize Ward delivered the biggest swing of the inning with a two-run single to left, scoring Peer and Maisonet to make it 8–3. Durnin later walked to reload the bases, but the rally ended when Frost grounded out.
Mizzou added one final push with Serna reaching on a walk, Peer collecting his third hit of the day and Maisonet hitting a single to the right side scoring Serna. Although the Tigers comeback attempt stalled as Macon struck out to end the game.
What’s Next
The biggest key for the Tigers right now is clear, they need timely hitting. Mizzou has shown they can get runners on, but the next step is cashing in when it matters. If the offense can start producing in those situational spots, the upcoming series against No. 16 Arkansas could be a real turning point for the season.
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That test begins Thursday, April 23, and runs through Saturday, April 25 against the Razorbacks. It won’t be easy, but with an 11-10 record at home, the Tigers will be looking to lean on familiar surroundings and try to steal the series in front of their own fans.
Before that, Mizzou gets one more tune-up, hosting Southern Illinois at 6 p.m. Tuesday, April 21 at Taylor Stadium. After a stretch of road games, the Tigers finally return home, where they’ll hope the energy from the crowd can help spark the consistency this lineup has been searching for.
To follow along and read more about Mizzou Baseball, follow @Rock MNation,@SophBleedsLA and @Henry_C81, on twitter/x.
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