Baseball’s Comeback Falls Short Against No. 24 Ole MissBaseball’s Comeback Falls Short Against No. 24 Ole Miss
Baseball

Baseball’s Comeback Falls Short Against No. 24 Ole Miss

No. 24 Ole Miss homered six times in the first five innings to help build a seven-run lead against University of Missouri baseball en route to a 17-10 decision and a Southeastern Conference series-clinching victory over the Tigers Saturday afternoon at Taylor Stadium.

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Box Score

COLUMBIA, Mo. – No. 24 Ole Miss homered six times in the first five innings to help build a seven-run lead against University of Missouri baseball en route to a 17-10 decision and a Southeastern Conference series-clinching victory over the Tigers Saturday afternoon at Taylor Stadium.

Isaac Humphrey hit two-run home runs in back-to-back plate appearances – his second and third homers of the series – and recorded his second four-RBI performance in as many days against Mizzou. Judd Utermark set the tone for the contest with a three-run shot in the top of the first, before Ryan Moerman and Humphrey went deep as part of a three-run third inning.

Mizzou touched up Ole Miss pitching for 10 runs – its best offensive performance in SEC play since a 12-11 victory over Auburn on May 10, 2024 – led by Cayden Nicoletto's three-hit game, as well as four-RBI efforts from Jackson Lovich and Brock Daniels. The Tigers rallied from two separate three-run deficits, scoring three times in the home half of the first on Lovich's two-out, bases-loaded triple, then again in the third courtesy of Daniels' three-run homer that handed MU a 7-6 lead.

But Ole Miss (17-5, 3-2 SEC) responded in the fourth, scoring five runs thanks to two more round-trippers to seize the lead for good. The biggest of those blows was delivered by Will Furniss, who belted a pinch-hit, three-run shot to left to put the Rebels on top, 9-7. Next, Humphrey came through yet again, launching a two-run homer after a Hayden Federico single kept the inning alive.

The Rebels added a run in the fifth on Mitchell Sanford's solo shot, then tacked on two more tallies in the sixth to extend their lead to 14-7.

In the seventh, Mizzou (8-13, 0-5 SEC) used three consecutive hits to open a three-run rally that sliced the margin to four runs. Lovich drove in his fourth run of the day with an RBI-single, and Daniels laced a run-scoring triple to right before trotting home on a wild pitch.

Both Daniels and Lovich finished 2-for-5, and Kaden Peer added two hits for the Tigers as well.

TIGER NOTEBOOK

  • Lovich's 2-for-5 day marked his eighth multi-hit effort overall this season.
  • With the loss, Mizzou dropped to 11-18 all-time versus Ole Miss, and 5-5 against the Rebels in Columbia.
  • Lovich's triple in the bottom of the first was his first of the season and the sixth of his Mizzou career.
  • Lovich is batting 4-for-10 with six RBIs for the series.
  • Daniels' three-run homer in the fourth was his second of the season and sixth of his career.
  • Nicoletto turned in his fifth three-hit outing of the campaign, driving home a runner in the third.
  • Peer achieved his sixth multi-hit game of the season.
  • LHP Kadden Drew earned the start, tallying three strikeouts; he has fanned multiple batters in each of his six starts this season.
  • The two clubs' combined 27 runs marked the highest-scoring SEC contest Mizzou has participated in since a combined 34-run afternoon against the Rebels on May 6, 2023.

UP NEXT
Mizzou and Ole Miss conclude their three-game SEC set Sunday with a 4 p.m. matchup at Taylor Stadium that will be broadcast live on SEC Network.

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