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Scoreboard

Cayden Nicoletto
9
Winner Evansville UE 3-8
5
Missouri MIZ 6-6
Winner
Evansville UE
3-8
9
Final
5
Missouri MIZ
6-6
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Evansville UE 0 0 2 2 0 0 0 0 5 9 9 0
Missouri MIZ 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 2 5 15 1

W: Kevin Reed (2-1) L: Lucas, Brock (0-1) S: Kellen Roberts (2)

Game Recap: Baseball |

Evansville Takes Finale to Earn Series Split With Baseball

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Evansville built an early three-run lead before a five-run, ninth inning rally sealed a 9-5 decision over University of Missouri baseball Sunday afternoon in the two clubs' series finale at Taylor Stadium.

All nine Missouri batters in its starting lineup recorded at least one hit, as Cayden Nicoletto delivered a 4-for-5 afternoon to lead Mizzou's 15-hit attack. On the mound, Kaden Jacobi held the Aces to one hit over 3.0 scoreless innings of relief.

But it would not be enough for the Tigers to clinch a third-straight win over Evansville, as Harrison Taubert drove in five runs as part of a 3-for-5 day at the plate, while starting pitcher Kevin Reed limited MU to two runs over 6.0 innings. Taubert put the Purple Aces (3-8) on top with a two-run home run in the third inning, then drove in three more with a bases-loaded double in the ninth.

The Tigers (6-6) generated several scoring chances against Reed but managed just two runs against the UE left-hander. Evansville's defense turned a pair of double plays behind Reed (2-1), who scattered 10 hits and struck out five Tigers.

Taubert's second homer of the season opened the scoring in the third, after Ty Rumsey's two-out single sparked a UE rally.

After Mizzou's Jackson Lovich sliced the margin in half with his second round-tripper of 2025 in the home half of the third, the Aces generated another scoring rally in the fourth to extend their lead to 4-1. A walk – one of eight on the day for Evansville – sparked the threat, and back-to-back hits by Kevin McCormick and Drew Howard produced a run, before Rumsey was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to force home another.

Mizzou threatened in the sixth, stringing together three consecutive hits, beginning with a one-out single by Nicoletto. Tyler Macon's RBI double brought in a runner to make it a 4-2 game, but a fly ball to center prevented further damage.

The Tigers best opportunity to close the gap came in the seventh after consecutive singles by Peyton Basler and Trey Lawrence started the inning. A Lovich sacrifice moved both runners into scoring position, but UE reliever Drew Fieger came up with a strikeout and a liner to left to strand both baserunners.

A leadoff single by Nicoletto in the eighth led to the Tigers' third run, as a Brock Daniels single and a Jedier Hernandez ground ball pulled Mizzou to within a single tally.

But the Aces capitalized on a trio of walks and the fifth hit batsman by Mizzou pitching in the contest to extend the margin to six runs. Rumsey drew another run-producing hit by pitch to put the fifth UE run on the board, before Taubert drove a 2-1 pitch to left for a bases-clearing double and a five-run Aces lead.

Mizzou pushed a pair of runs home in the bottom of the ninth, highlighted by Nicoletto's fourth hit of the game – an RBI single through the right side – and a two-out wild pitch brought the senior transfer home to cap the scoring.

TIGER NOTEBOOK

  • With the four-game split of the series, the Tigers now hold a 4-3 all-time edge vs. Evansville.
  • Nicoletto's four hits marked a Mizzou career high; he finished the four-game series with a .571 (8-for-14) batting average after going 7-for-10 over the final two games vs. UE.
  • A single up the middle by Mateo Serna in the bottom half of the third inning extended the sophomore's hitting streak to a career-best seven games.
  • Macon recorded two hits during the game, good for his second multi-hit performance as a Tiger, as well as a personal-best four-game hit streak.
  • Sunday marked the third time the Tigers have recorded 15 hits in a game and the eighth time Mizzou has registered at least 11 hits this season.
  • Kaden Peer recorded a hit in his fourth-straight contest, marking a career-long hit streak for the sophomore.
  • Lovich's solo shot in the third inning was his 13th career homer.
  • Three Tigers – Nicoletto, Peer and Lovich – batted .500 or better in the series; Mizzou hit .350 with 49 hits as a team vs. Evansville.

UP NEXT
Mizzou will continue its 10-game home stand Tuesday (March 4) with a 6 p.m., contest against Southeast Missouri 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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