Columbia News

No. 16 Alabama defeated the University of Missouri baseball team 7-5 in the opening game of their Southeastern Conference series on Thursday night at Sewell-Thomas Stadium in Tuscaloosa. The Crimson Tide came from behind, using three two-out home runs from the lower part of their batting order to secure the win.

Missouri started strong with a five-run first inning. Jackson Lovich led off with an infield single, and after Kaden Peer was hit by a pitch, Keegan Knutson’s sacrifice bunt and an errant throw allowed Lovich to score. Cayden Nicoletto’s sacrifice fly brought in another run, followed by singles from Chris Patterson and Gehrig Goldbeck for a third run. Brady Picarelli capped the rally with a two-run single, giving Mizzou a 5-0 lead.

Alabama responded in the second inning when Will Hodo hit a two-run homer after Brady Kehlenbrink walked Brady Neal. Kehlenbrink managed to escape further trouble in the third by striking out two batters with the bases loaded.

Reliever Xavier Lovett retired seven straight hitters after taking over for Kehlenbrink but ran into trouble in the sixth. After base hits from Neal and Jason Torres, Garrett Staton tied the game with a three-run homer.

In the eighth inning, Coleman Mizell hit a two-out, two-run home run off PJ Green to break a 5-5 tie and give Alabama its first lead of the game. Carson Ozmer pitched out of a bases-loaded jam for Alabama in the top half of that inning and struck out all three batters he faced in the ninth to earn his fourth win of the season.

The Missouri bullpen combined for six strikeouts over six innings between Kehlenbrink and Lovett. Patterson recorded his fourth multi-hit game as a Tiger, going 2-for-4 at bat. Picarelli also went 2-for-4, logging his fifth multi-RBI performance and his first multi-hit effort in SEC play.

With this loss—Missouri's eighth consecutive defeat against Alabama—the Tigers' record against Alabama falls to 7-13 all-time.

"Kehlenbrink's two earned runs allowed marked the fewest the left-hander has permitted in his five SEC starts."

"Patterson recorded his fourth multi-hit effort as a Tiger, finishing 2-for-4."

"Picarelli (2-for-4) logged his fifth multi-RBI game and his third multi-hit effort – his first in SEC play."

"With the setback – Mizzou's eighth in a row against the Crimson Tide – the Tigers drop to 7-13 all-time vs. Alabama."