Columbia News

Kansas scored two runs in the eighth inning to defeat the University of Missouri baseball team 6-5 on Tuesday night at Taylor Stadium. The Jayhawks overcame a 5-3 deficit, scoring three unanswered runs and taking the lead for good with Sawyer Smith's infield single with two outs in the eighth.

Missouri (13-35) fell behind early after Kansas' Jackson Hauge hit a three-run homer in the first inning. The Tigers responded by scoring in three consecutive innings to take a 5-3 lead by the fifth. Freshman Tyler Macon tripled with two outs in the third and scored on a wild pitch to get Missouri on the board.

Home runs from Brock Daniels and Jackson Lovich tied the game at 3-3 in the fourth. Chris Patterson, another freshman, gave Missouri its first lead with a double in the fifth, followed by an RBI single from Keegan Knutson that made it 5-3.

Missouri's bullpen provided seven innings of relief and kept Kansas scoreless through most of that stretch. Freshman Victor Christal held Kansas hitless over two innings, allowing only one walk. PJ Green, Kaden Jacobi, and Ian Lohse each added scoreless innings out of the bullpen.

Kansas (37-13) rallied late with help from three walks in the eighth inning. Tommy Barth's sacrifice fly tied the game before Smith's single brought home T.J. Williams for what proved to be the winning run.

The Jayhawks used eight pitchers during the game, getting four shutout innings from Eric Lin and Alex Breckheimer at the end. Lin struck out four batters and escaped trouble in the seventh; Breckheimer retired six of seven batters faced for his sixth save this season.

Patterson and Daniels led Missouri’s offense with two hits each. Lovich recorded his ninth home run of 2025, extending his streak of reaching base to 18 games.

"The Tigers met the Jayhawks for the 354th time Tuesday, with MU still holding a 220-132-2 all-time series lead."

"Lovich extended his reached base streak to 18-straight games with his fourth-inning home run – the 20th of his Mizzou career."

"Daniels logged his ninth multi-hit game of the campaign."

"Christal turned in a career-best two innings of relief, retiring six of the seven batters he faced."

"RHP Josh McDevitt made his first start on the mound for the Tigers, allowing three runs on four hits over the first two innings."

"Patterson's two doubles give him a team-leading eight on the season; he became just the second Tiger (along with Lovich vs. UAPB on April 1) to record two doubles in a contest this spring."