Mizzou baseball swept by No. 9 Georgia

Once again, the Missouri Tiger baseball team was swept in an SEC series. The Tigers have now lost 11 consecutive games and sit at 0-24 in SEC play.

Georgia won the first game 9-2, then won Game 2, 5-2 and Game 3, 4-2.

Here is a recap of the series.

The Tigers got Brady Kehlenbrink’s best start of the season as he allowed one hit, a third-inning home run, two walks and three hit batters across 4.1 innings, while striking out six batters.

“Each time out, he’s been better,” Missouri baseball coach Kerrick Jackson said. “What helped him tonight was being much more efficient with attacking the zone and then the changeup was a huge weapon for being able to throw that to both right handers and left handers.”

Kehlenbrink exited the game trailing 1-0 before Josh McDevitt came on for the next 1.2, escaping a bases-loaded jam in the fifth and allowing one run on one hit and one walk, while striking out three.

But things really blew up in the seventh as Xavier Lovett allowed three runs on three hits and a walk, while striking out one.

Ben Smith pitched the final two innings and allowed four runs on five hits and a hit batter. He struck out one.

The Tigers trailed 2-0 after the sixth, then lost 9-2.

Missouri scored one run in the eighth when Pierre Seals sent a home run out to left center, then added another when Jackson Lovich connected on a sacrifice fly with the bases loaded in the ninth.

“(We) were trying to get the hit and trying to get the hit never works in this game because you could do everything perfect and still not end up being a hit,” Jackson said. “And so because we were trying to get the hit, swings were big, swings were long, they were aggressive instead of just being simple and on time.”

The Tigers had eight total hits with two from Selas, the home run and a double, while Kaden Peer doubled and Lovich, Cayden Nicoletto, Chris Patterson, Brock Daniels and Trey Callaway all singled.

The Tigers got another excellent start on Saturday, getting three scoreless, hitless innings from Sam Horn, who walked one batter and hit two, while striking out five.

But Tony Neubeck came on and allowed four runs across the next 2.1 innings on four hits and three walks, while striking out two. Neubeck earned the loss.

“We’re chasing wins,” Jackson said. “We missed out on an opportunity.”

PJ Green got just one out while allowing one run on three walks and a hit batter.

Brock Lucas then came on and pitched a perfect 3.1 innings, striking out five.

Missouri took the lead with two runs in the bottom of the first when Nicoletto sent a home run to right center, scoring Peer.

Missouri had four total hits, the home run from Nicoletto, a double from Mateo Serna and two singles from Peer.

“We get to playing the scoreboard and not playing the game,” Jackson said. “... Because of the situation that we’ve been in and because of where we are, I think mentally, it’s just been a really, really tough deal on the offensive guys.”

Missouri once again jumped ahead on the strength of a solid starting performance on the mound.

Wil Libbert posted arguably the best game of his young career, pitching 5.0 innings and allowing two runs (one earned) on six hits and a hit batter, while striking out seven.

Lovett came on and pitched the next two innings scoreless, allowing one hit and one walk, while striking out one, then Ian Lohse fired a scoreless eighth, allowing one hit and striking out one.

Green came out for the ninth, but got just one out, allowing two runs on one hit and two walks, while striking out one.

Kaden Jacobi got the final two outs on strikeouts, while walking one.

Missouri’s first run scored when Tyler Macon reached on an error in the second, scoring Serna.

Then the Tigers tied the game at 2 in the bottom of the eighth when Seals hit a sacrifice fly to score Peyton Basler.

But a two-run home run in the top of the ninth kept the Tigers winless in conference play.

Missouri had five total hits, a double and a single from Serna, a double from Nicoletto and singles from Lovich and Seals.

“I think we missed out on some opportunities offensively,” Jackson said.

The Tigers host the second mid-week Border War of the season. The Tigers dropped last week’s matchup 9-3. This week’s game will start at 6 p.m. Tuesday.

Missouri will then hit the road to play a weekend series at Texas A&M.

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