Mizzou rides six-run inning to first win of 2025 season

CAGUAS, Puerto Rico (KMIZ)

Mizzou Baseball's first win of the new campaign is over a 2024 NCAA Super Regional program.

The Tigers (1-1) toppled UConn (0-2) in the Puerto Rico Challenge 11-7, propelled by a six-run, sixth-inning rally where six straight batters reached base. With Saturday's win, head coach Kerrick Jackson earned his 100th career victory.

Kaden Peer supplied all of MU's offense for the first four frames. The St. Louis native scored the team's first run of the 2025 season with an RBI double off the left field wall in the second inning. Then, after UConn took its first lead with a hit-by-pitch and sacrifice fly, Peer delivered a game-tying RBI single to knot the game 2-2 in the third inning.

MU entered the home half of the sixth frame with 4-3 advantage, following a two-run home run from Jackson Lovich and a solo shot from UConn's Ryan Daniels. However, the Tigers punished the opposing pitching staff in that inning, posting six runs on back-to-back RBI singles from Peyton Basler and Gehrig Goldbeck, an RBI double from Brock Daniels and a three-run home run from Mateo Serna.

The Huskies made a dent in that 10-3 deficit with a four-run frame in the seventh inning, which featured three RBI extra-base hits. However, Blair Oaks graduate Wil Libbert pitched a clean eighth inning out of the bullpen, and Xavier Lovett closed the door on UConn in the final frame to clinch the first win of their campaign. Libbert and Lovett allowed only one hit and recorded two strikeouts in their two combined shutout innings.

Collectively, MU had 11 hits, paced by a three-hit performance from Daniels and two-hit efforts from Serna, Lovich and Peer. Serna and Lovich also posted three RBI's each.

Daniel Wissler gave up two earned runs on three hits with three strikeouts during his three-inning start while Kaden Jacobi was awarded the win for his 3.2 innings of work where he allowed five earned runs on seven hits with four strikeouts.

Up next - Mizzou wraps up the Puerto Rico Challenge with a matchup against Stetson. First pitch is scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 16 at 12 p.m.