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Scoreboard

Wil Libbert
2
Evansville UE 2-7
6
Winner Missouri MIZ 5-5
Evansville UE
2-7
2
Final
6
Missouri MIZ
5-5
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Evansville UE 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 9 1
Missouri MIZ 3 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 X 6 11 1

W: Libbert, Wil (1-1) L: BYBERG, Owen (0-1) S: Green, PJ (1)

7
Evansville UE 2-8
17
Winner Missouri MIZ 6-5
Evansville UE
2-8
7
Final
17
Missouri MIZ
6-5
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Evansville UE 0 0 0 0 0 2 5 7 8 3
Missouri MIZ 4 3 0 1 0 9 X 17 16 0

W: Drew, Kadden (2-0) L: RJ James (0-2)

Game Recap: Baseball |

Baseball Cruises to Doubleheader Sweep of Evansville

COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri baseball built a pair of early leads against Evansville, then rode a pair of dominant starting pitching performances to a twin bill sweep of the Purple Aces Saturday at Taylor Stadium. The Tigers leveled the series at a game apiece with a 6-2 decision in the opening game, then turned in its best offensive performance of the season to run away with a 17-7 run-rule victory in the nightcap.

Kaden Peer went 4-for-5 with three steals and reached base safely via a hit, walk or hit by pitch in each of his last seven plate appearances to lead a Missouri offense that pounded out 27 hits in the doubleheader. Peer logged three hits in the opener, then homered and scored three times in the second contest to pace the Tigers offense.

Starting pitchers Wil Libbert and Kadden Drew each worked into the sixth inning, combining to strike out 12 batters while allowing just two runs apiece. Libbert fanned a career-high seven hitters in earning his first collegiate win, before Drew held the Aces hitless through the first 5 1/3 innings of game two.

In game one, the Tigers (6-5) relied on three-hit games by Peer and Jackson Lovich, as well as the left arm of Libbert (1-1), to pick up the win. Mizzou scored three times in the first inning, and Libbert struck out seven hitters over 5 2/3 innings to earn the victory.

Peer, who finished 3-for-4 in the opener, set the tone with a leadoff walk and steal of second to ignite a three-run Mizzou rally in the first inning. Cayden Nicoletto and Brady Picarelli followed with back-to-back run-scoring singles to right field, putting the Tigers in front, 2-0. Brock Daniels' sacrifice fly brought home Nicoletto moments later to extend the home team's lead to three runs.

The Tigers added a run in the second on a Mateo Serna RBI double, then put the game on ice in the seventh thanks to RBIs by Picarelli and Daniels.

Libbert rebounded from a two-run Evansville rally in the second, retiring eight UE hitters in a row on his way to six strong innings. Freshman reliever PJ Green followed with 3.0 shutout innings to earn his first save as a Tiger.

The second contest started with a familiar pattern, as Peer once again spearheaded an early offensive onslaught by Mizzou. This time, the sophomore outfielder reached via a hit by pitch before four Mizzou singles led to a four-run rally. Picarelli, who drove in a pair of runs in each game, put MU on the scoreboard with a one-out single, before Daniels and Peyton Basler followed his lead to make it a 3-0 game. Trey Lawrence capped the inning with a fielder's choice bouncer to short, giving the Tigers a 4-0 cushion.

Drew (2-0) wouldn't need any more, as the left-hander promptly retired the first eighth UE hitters of the game and faced just one batter over the minimum through four frames. He struck out the side in the fifth and took a no-hitter into the sixth before UE finally mounted a threat to score its first two runs.

But the Tigers suddenly potent offense responded in the home half of the sixth, sending 14 men to the plate and scoring nine times on eight hits. RBI singles by Lovich and Serna, as well as a two-run, pinch-single by Tyler Macon and a three-run triple by Basler highlighted the outburst that gave the Tigers a 15-run advantage.

Mizzou would finish the contest with 16 hits, just one shy of its season high.

TIGER NOTEBOOK

  • With the sweep, Missouri improved to 4-2 all-time vs. Evansville.
  • Libbert posed career highs for both strikeouts (7) and innings pitched (5.2) in game one.
  • In going 4-for-9 on the day, Serna extended his hit streak to a personal career-best six games.
  • Picarelli logged multi-RBI games in both contests, doing so for the fourth time in the last five games.
  • Mizzou's 17 runs represented its most in a game since plating 20 versus Purdue Fort Wayne on March 10, 2024.
  • It's MU's first run-rule victory since also beating PFW, 11-1, in eight innings on March 9, 2024.
  • Lovich finished 4-for-8 on the day, while Basler, Picarelli and Daniels each drove in four runs in the sweep.
  • Basler and Macon join a list of seven Tigers with multiple plate appearances of two or more RBIs this season.
  • Basler equaled a career-high with four RBIs, matching his March 4, 2022 performance vs. Samford.
  • Nine of the 10 Tigers who had an at-bat registered a hit in the second contest and all 10 crossed the plate at least once.
  • Game two marked the first time all nine Mizzou starters have rounded the bases in a game since the 20-2 win over Purdue Fort Wayne on March 10, 2024.
  • Serna, Gehrig Goldbeck and Nicoletto finished game two with three hits apiece, combining to go 9-for-12 overall.

UP NEXT
Mizzou and Evansville conclude their four-game series Sunday with a 1 p.m. contest at Taylor Stadium.

University of Missouri baseball single-game tickets for the 2025 season are on sale now. Fans can purchase tickets by calling the ticket office at 1-800-CAT-PAWS or by visiting MUTigers.com.

FOLLOW THE TIGERS
For all the latest information on Mizzou baseball, please visit MUTigers.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow the Tigers on X, Instagram and Facebook.

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