Jackson LovichJackson Lovich
Baseball

Baseball Drops SEC Opener to No. 2 LSU

Second-ranked LSU used a five-run fourth inning and an 11-strikeout performance from starting pitcher Kade Anderson to secure a 12-5 victory over University of Missouri baseball in the 2025 Southeastern Conference opener for both clubs Friday evening at Alex Box Stadium.

Opens in a new window Box Score (PDF) Opens in a new window Box Score (PDF)
Box Score

BATON ROUGE, La. – Second-ranked LSU used a five-run fourth inning and an 11-strikeout performance from starting pitcher Kade Anderson to secure a 12-5 victory over University of Missouri baseball in the 2025 Southeastern Conference opener for both clubs Friday evening at Alex Box Stadium.

LSU (18-1, 1-0 SEC) extended its win streak to 13 in a row after making the most of its limited early offensive opportunities, including its first hit of the night – a two-run home run by Luis Hernandez in the second – to overcome a 2-0 deficit. None of the Tigers' nine hits in the game would be bigger than Derek Curiel's bases-loaded triple that broke up a 2-2 deadlock in LSU's pivotal fourth-inning rally.

Curiel's liner down the right-field line cleared the bases and put the home-standing Tigers on top to stay as part of a string of nine unanswered runs over a five-inning stretch by LSU. Daniel Dickinson's grounder to third brought in the fourth run of the inning, before Jake Brown delivered a runs-scoring single – one of his four RBIs off the LSU bench – to cap the rally.

Brown added to the lead with a two-out, two-run double in the sixth to stretch the LSU lead to 9-2.

Anderson needed little more, as the sophomore left-hander completed a career-long 6 1/3 inning outing with his third-straight double-digit strikeout effort while allowing just three runs on four Mizzou hits.

Mizzou (8-9, 0-1 SEC) seized an early lead on Jackson Lovich's two-run homer in the top of the second that gave the Tigers a 2-0 advantage. MU starting pitcher Ian Lohse (0-3) worked out of a first-inning jam, but LSU evened the score in the bottom of the second when Hernandez went deep to left-center following a hit-by-pitch to start the inning.

MU also battled back in the late stages of the game, scoring a run in the seventh, before using back-to-back home runs by Kaden Peer and Mateo Serna to close the gap to four runs in the eighth.

But LSU put the game out of reach with a three-run rally in the home half of the eighth, as Brown plated another run with a sac fly, and Steven Milam belted a two-run homer to push the lead back to seven runs.

TIGER NOTEBOOK

  • With the setback, Mizzou dropped to 4-21 all-time vs. LSU.
  • The Tigers matched a season high with their three home runs, marking the fourth time this season they've gone deep three times in a game.
  • Lovich extended his hitting streak to nine games (dating back to Feb. 28) with his second-inning home run.
  • Lovich's two-run shot was his 14th career home run, which is the most among all active Tigers.
  • Cayden Nicoletto went 0-for-4 as his nine-game hit streak came to an end.
  • Cameron Benson stretched his hit streak to six-straight contests (since Feb. 16) with his fifth-inning double.
  • Ben Smith worked a career-long 3.0 innings in relief.
  • Brock Lucas turned in his third consecutive scoreless relief appearance, holding LSU to one hit over 1 2/3 innings.

UP NEXT
Mizzou and LSU are scheduled to continue their three-game series with a 6 p.m., contest on Saturday.

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