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Scoreboard

Mateo Serna
Gavin Liddell/ Mizzou Athletics
7
Missouri MIZ 1-2
9
Winner Stetson STETSON 3-0
Missouri MIZ
1-2
7
Final
9
Stetson STETSON
3-0
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Missouri MIZ 2 2 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 7 11 1
Stetson STETSON 2 2 0 0 0 3 2 0 X 9 13 1

W: Smith, Cooper (1-0) L: Kehlenbrink, Brady (0-1) S: Salak, Ethan (1)

Game Recap: Baseball |

Stetson Rallies Late to Edge Baseball on Final Day of Puerto Rico Challenge

CAGUAS, PUERTO RICO – Stetson rallied from a three-run deficit to edge University of Missouri baseball, 9-7, Sunday afternoon, overcoming another strong offensive showing by the Tigers on the final day of the Puerto Rico Challenge at Yldefonso Solá Morales Stadium. 

The Tigers, who built a pair of early two-run leads, touched up Stetson pitching for seven runs on 10 hits over the first six innings. Mateo Serna led Mizzou with his second consecutive two-hit effort (2-for-4) performance, Blake Simpson registered a 2-for-5 day at the plate that included the first home run of his MU career.

For the second consecutive day in Caguas, the Tigers powered up, this time belting three home runs, taking a 7-4 lead on Simpson's solo shot in the fifth, after Cameron Benson and Pierre Seals went deep on back-to-back at-bats in the third inning to snap a 4-4 deadlock. In all, Mizzou hit six homers in a span of just eight innings over the final two games of the tournament.

But Stetson rallied for three runs in the home half of the sixth, taking advantage of a Mizzou fielding miscue and a Jordan Taylor double to set the stage.  Danny Perez delivered the big blow, a one-out, two-run single that sliced the MU lead to 7-6. Juan De La Cruz and Landon Russell followed with back-to-back hits to chase home the tying run.

Mizzou reliever Ben Smith extinguished the rally by retiring Lorenzo Meola on strikes to strand the potential go-ahead run at third.

The Hatters went back to work in the seventh, however, using a hit by pitch and an Evan Griffis double to hand Stetson its first lead of the day. Taylor came through with a run-scoring single against MU freshman left-hander Brady Kehlenbrink (0-1), stretching the margin to 9-7.

The Tigers (1-2) threatened in the ninth, putting a pair of runners on base via a one-out walk to Brock Daniels and a hit batsman (Serna). But Ethan Salak came up with a strikeout and a bouncer to first for the final two outs, completing a 3-0 start to the weekend for the Hatters.

Cooper Smith (1-0) earned the victory with 2 2/3 innings of one-hit relief for Stetson, as three relievers combined to hold the Tigers to one run on three hits over the final 6 2/3 innings.

Mizzou's offense clicked early, however, as the Tigers jumped on top with a pair of runs on four hits in the top of the first. Jackson Lovich produced a run with a base hit through the left side, before a passed ball brought in a second Tiger run for a 2-0 lead.

Stetson answered with a two-run homer off the bat of Jayden Hylton – the first of a pair of two-run homers in the first two innings by Hatters batters.

In the second, Serna and Kaden Peer drove in runs with back-to-back hits, before De La Cruz launched another two-run shot to level the score at 2-2.

The Tigers' power display ultimately opened up a three-run cushion, beginning with Benson's long ball to center on the first pitch he saw from SU starter Ethan Phillips in the third. Next, Seals worked a full count before lofting his first Mizzou homer, making it a two-run game once more.

After being held scoreless in an inning for the first time since the seventh inning of Saturday's 11-7 win over UConn, Mizzou got yet another home run in the fifth, riding Simpson's blast to a 7-4 lead.

TIGER NOTEBOOK

  • Stetson claimed its first victory over the Tigers, slicing Missouri's all-time lead in the series to 2-1
  • Mizzou matched its best hit total of the season with 11 safeties; its three home runs also represented a season best
  • All three MU hitters who homered in the contest – Benson, Seals and Simpson – recorded their first round-trippers as Tigers
  • Serna logged his second straight two-hit effort and the sixth of his Mizzou career; along with Lovich, the sophomore led the Tigers with four RBIs on the weekend
  • Daniels led the Tigers at the plate for the tournament, going 4-for-10 with five runs scored and three steals
  • Mizzou pitching struck out nine hitters for the second consecutive outing and racked up 28 punchouts in the Tigers' three games in Caguas
  • Smith turned in his second scoreless relief outing in as many appearances this season; the sophomore retired all six hitters he faced in Puerto Rico
  • Mizzou finished the weekend a perfect 7-for-7 on steal attempts

UP NEXT

Mizzou continues its season-opening seven-game road trip with a Wednesday (Feb. 19) contest against UCF. First pitch from John Euliano Park in Orlando, Fla., is slated for 5:30 p.m. (CST).

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