Baseball Drops Game Two at No. 22 Tennessee to Set Up Sunday Rubber Match

Saturday, March 21

Knoxville, Tenn.

6 P.M.

Missouri

16-7, 1-4

Tennessee

16-7, 2-3

Missouri

Tennessee

Baseball Drops Game Two at No. 22 Tennessee to Set Up Sunday Rubber Match

3/21/2026 10:16:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Mizzou baseball fell to No. 22 Tennessee, 4-2, in game two of its weekend series on Saturday night at Lindsey Nelson Stadium. The Volunteers (16-7, 2-3 SEC) scored four unanswered runs to win the game as the Tigers (16-7, 1-4 SEC) posed multiple threats but could not break through.

The Tigers outhit the Vols, led by a second straight two-hit outing by Jase Woita who reached four times in the game, and Mateo Serna who logged his first multi-hit game in conference play. Right-handed starter Josh McDevitt went 5.2 innings, his fifth outing retiring at least 15 batters this season, allowing four runs on six hits while striking out four Volunteers. Freshman RHP Eli Skidmore had another strong relief outing, going 2.1 innings with four punchouts and gave up just one hit.

Mizzou again drew first blood, striking for a pair of runs in the second inning. Kaden Peer and Kam Durnin each drew walks to lead off the inning, then freshman Blaize Ward sent a base hit up the middle to drive in Peer for the game's first run. Knutson followed Ward's at-bat with a sacrifice bunt to score Durnin. Serna singled to put runners at the corners with one away, but Tennessee was able to escape the jam allowing no additional damage.

In the bottom half of the second, UT answered with a run of their own to cut the lead in half. Stone Lawless walked to start the inning and, after advancing on a wild pitch, was brought home on an RBI single. McDevitt allowed another base hit, but Lawless was the lone run to score for the Vols.

Woita led off the third with a double, but Mizzou was unable to capitalize and carried its 2-1 lead into the bottom half where Tennessee would get the equalizer by converting on their own leadoff double.

After holding Mizzou off the scoreboard in the fourth, Tennessee took its first lead of the series as yet another leadoff double came home to score thanks to a pair of flyouts to advance the runner.

MU provided its largest threat of the game in the top of the fifth when Woita walked before Pierre Seals and Peer both singled to load the bases with nobody out as the Tigers chased UT starter Landon Mack after four-plus innings. The Vols, however, were able to strike out the next pair of batters before a pop out ended a scoreless top half for Mizzou. McDevitt returned and retired the side on just six pitches to keep Mizzou within one, 3-2.

After going down in order in the top of the sixth, McDevitt allowed a one-out double to result in a run as a ground ball advanced the runner and was followed by a wild pitch. After another pair of walks, Juan Villarreal relieved McDevitt and walked the lone batter he faced to load the bases for Eli Skidmore who cleaned up the jam with a groundout.

Each team allowed a baserunner in the seventh, but no further damage was done. Then, Mizzou went down in order in its half of the eighth to go down to its final three outs. Skidmore allowed a leadoff walk but a strikeout and throw out to catch the runner stealing allowed him to face the minimum in the bottom half.

Missouri came to the dish with 8-9-1 due up in the order, and Serna and Macon opened the inning with strikeouts before Cameron Benson reached on an infield single to extend the inning. Benson would swipe second and third base on consecutive pitches via defensive indifference before Woita walked to put the tying run on base. Seals worked a seven-pitch at-bat before a 106 MPH ground out ended the Tigers' threat.

NOTEBOOK

Woita logged another two-hit game, knocking a double and reaching two additional times on walks. The performance gave Woita a team-best tying 10 multi-hit games and extended his on-base streak to 18 games – the longest by a Tiger this season.
Serna tallied a pair of hits for the sixth time this season.
McDevitt went 5.2 innings and gave up four runs on six hits, taking his first loss of the season to go to 3-1 overall. It marked his fifth outing retiring at least 15 batters this season as he struck out four Volunteers.
Skidmore went 2.1 innings in relief, giving up just one hit and one walk while punching out four. The freshman has gone five-straight innings without allowing an earned run.
Ward ended the game 1-for-3 with an RBI. He has four hits and three RBI in the series.
Peer, Seals and Benson each recorded a hit.

The Tigers will be back at Lindsey Nelson Stadium tomorrow afternoon at 12 p.m. CT for the rubber match of the series. The game can be streamed live on SEC Network+. All games can also be streamed on the Varsity Network by Learfield, with longtime Mizzou play-by-play announcer Tex Little on the call and Matt Michaels providing color.

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