Trevor Austin hit three home runs over the event, Jackson Lovich would get his eighth RBI of the season and Missouri’s record would improve to 4-3.
After starting the season 2-1 at Cal Poly, Missouri baseball headed to San Diego to play in the Tony Gwynn Legacy tournament which honors the late MLB Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn. Gwynn played and coached for the San Diego State University Aztecs. Missouri was set to go up against CSU Bakersfield, SDSU and twice against UC San Diego.
Missouri opened the event against the CSU Bakersfield Roadrunners. Missouri started the game by giving up a home run in the first inning, but it was matched by junior Isaiah Frost hitting a lead-off home run to left-center field. The momentum was carried on by freshman Drew Culbertson and senior Trevor Austin who ended the top of the second with back-to-back single home runs to start an early 3-1 lead for Missouri.
The Roadrunners tied it up by driving in a run in both the bottom of the second and fourth but that was the last time they touched home plate. Austin hit a second home run in the top of the fifth to make it a 4-3 Missouri lead. The game was then sealed off by junior Jedier Hernandez and sophomore Jeric Curtis both hitting RBI doubles in the seventh inning, winning the game 6-3 for Missouri. The win boosted their win streak to three games going into Friday’s game.
That streak would not increase, however, as Missouri fell to SDSU, 10-3. Missouri started the game with Curtis scoring from a wild pitch. The lead didn’t last long as the Aztecs brought in four runs in the bottom of the first and another two in the second to make it an early 6-1 deficit.
Missouri cut into the deficit in the third with an RBI single from freshman Tucker Moore bringing in sophomore Jackson Lovich for a run. It was followed by Curtis getting hit by the pitch and junior Justin Colon hitting another RBI single which brought in Moore to make it 6-3. This was the last time Missouri touched home as San Diego State went on to have another four-run inning in the sixth, taking the game. Missouri pitcher Bryce Mayer had his second loss in his second pitching start of the season.
Missouri finished its weekend with a doubleheader against UC San Diego on Saturday. The first game opened with Moore getting walked in the opening at-bat and then stealing second base. He was brought in by sophomore Jackson Lovich after hitting a two-run home run to give Missouri a 2-0 lead in the first.
The next two innings were scoreless but UC San Diego got a two-run home run of their own by junior Matt Halbach in the fourth. San Diego would go on to have a rally in the fifth inning, loading the bases and bringing in three runs to make it 5-2. In the next inning, Missouri would cut the deficit to one run with a 2-RBI single from Curtis. However, in the seventh inning, UC San Diego had another three-run inning going up 8-4 and winning the game.
The second game of the doubleheader went to extra innings with both teams having double-digit hits. San Diego started the scoring in the bottom of the second inning with an RBI single from junior Andy Ambriz. Missouri would go on to get two runs from an RBI single from both Lovich and Moore in the top of the third. It was matched by two runs from San Diego in the bottom of the inning, giving a narrow 3-2 lead.
Austin would tie the game in the seventh for Missouri, hitting his third home run of the weekend. In the bottom of the eighth, San Diego loaded the bases and Halbach would score due to a fielding error which returned the lead back to San Diego. Down by one in the ninth, Moore and Culbertson would get on base and advance with a sacrifice bunt by Austin. Culbertson scored and tied the score with a deep sacrifice flyout from freshman Thomas Curry. At 4-4, the game went on to the eleventh inning and would end with Lovich hitting his eighth RBI of the season, bringing Moore home and winning the game 5-4 for Missouri.
Concluding the west coast start of the season, Missouri baseball goes 4-3. Coming back home, they will host their home opener on Feb. 27 against Southeast Missouri.
Edited by Grace Ainger | gainger@themaneater.com
Copy edited by Sterling Sewell | ssewell@themaneater.com
Edited by Scout Hudson | shudson@themaneater.com