Auburn swept Mizzou baseball in both teams’ first taste of SEC play this weekend at Taylor Stadium. The Tigers kept it close in the first two games but ultimately failed to pull out a win in the series headlined by a strong pitching duel. Head coach Kerrick Jackson was disappointed after the loss but remained confident that the team has what it takes to compete in the Southeastern Conference this season.
“We’re still growing and developing and more importantly, maturing as a ball club,” Jackson said. “We’ll be just fine.”
Game 1
Mizzou lost 2-0 in an extended first game due to a 90-minute delay thanks to a field light malfunction above home plate in the eighth inning, falling to the rival Tigers after a close duel fell apart in the eighth inning.
Graduate Javyn Pimental started on the bump for Mizzou and pitched six innings, allowing three hits, no runs and tallying five strikeouts. For as strong as Mizzou’s pitching was, its batting was equally as poor, logging just three hits all game.
Auburn sophomore Bub Terrell crushed a 386-foot home run to right field with a runner on, putting the Auburn Tigers up 2-0 in the top of the eighth inning.
Auburn held onto that lead while Mizzou failed to get on the board, as the final score read 2-0.
Game 2
Mizzou junior starting pitcher Josh McDevitt tallied 10 strikeouts in just over six innings, but his valiant effort wouldn’t be enough to hold off Auburn in an extra-innings showdown.
Graduate designated hitter Jase Woita got the bats going for Mizzou in the second inning, sending a double into right-center field with a little help from the sun — Auburn junior center fielder Bristol Carter and freshman right-fielder Mason McCraine lost the ball in the sky as it fell in between the pair.
Later that inning, junior Mateo Serna hit into a 5-4-3 double play, scoring Woita from third base and putting Mizzou up 1-0.
Auburn tied it up in the fifth inning as freshman Ethin Bingaman grounded out to shortstop, scoring redshirt freshman Brandon McCraine from third. Auburn went on to score a run both in the seventh and eighth innings, taking a commanding 3-1 lead.
Auburn’s junior pitcher Drew Whalen left the game in the bottom of the eighth inning after just 21 pitches — he called for his trainer in the middle of an at-bat and left the field visibly in pain.
Mizzou took advantage of the abrupt pitching change and began its rally. With two outs on the board, junior Kam Durnin ripped a ball to the left side of the infield for a single, scoring senior Jamal George from third base and cutting the run deficit to one.
Immediately after, Woita, notorious for his clutch hitting this year, stepped up to the plate. Woita smoked a ball to right field, scoring junior Kaden Peer from second base and tying the game 3-3.
As the game went into its tenth inning the Auburn offense immediately got a runner on base when junior Cade Belyeu was hit by a pitch. Later in the inning, sophomore Chase Fralick sent a ball to right field, scoring Belyeu from third and ultimately winning the ball game as Mizzou failed to muster a second comeback, falling 4-3.
Game 3
Auburn completed the sweep of Mizzou with the help of a monster seven-run inning after Mizzou starter Brady Kehlenbrink was pulled in the seventh inning.
Auburn took control of the final game early, looking to sweep Mizzou at home. Brandon McCraine clubbed an RBI single to right-center field, scoring Bingaman from second base.
Senior Cameron Benson got the bats going for Mizzou after pounding a ball to right field and wheeling his way to second base for a double. Benson didn’t hang around long, however, as Peer followed with an infield single and scored Benson from second base tying the game 1-1.
Mizzou’s Kehlenbrink exited the game in the seventh inning, leaving three runners on base and no outs. After his exit, Auburn rained seven runs down on the Mizzou defense, including a monster 383-foot, three-run home run off Bingaman’s bat.
Auburn tacked on one more run in the top of the eighth inning, and Mizzou was able to earn a consolation run in the bottom of the ninth. Mizzou lost the game 9-2, closing out a disappointing first conference series against Auburn.
Mizzou baseball will travel to Lawrence to face the Kansas Jayhawks at 6 p.m. Tuesday for a rivalry matchup that has the Tigers fired up.
“We’re going to come out swinging,” Peer said. “None of us like Kansas.”
