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COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri baseball turned in its best offensive showing in 14 years to shake off a recent offensive dry spell with a 28-10 rout of Northern Kentucky Saturday afternoon at Taylor Stadium.
Held to one run on four hits in Friday’s series opener with the Norse, the Tigers (5-5) rebounded in a big way in game two, scoring 14 runs in the opening inning en route to its biggest single-game run total since a 28-2 victory over Arkansas-Pine Bluff on March 24, 2010. Four different Tigers drove in at least four runs in the contest, led by Jackson Beaman’s career-best seven-RBI afternoon.
Justin Colon logged a career day as well, finishing 4-for-5 with five runs batted-in, while Jedier Hernandez registered three hits and four RBIs, and Jackson Lovich homered and drove in four runs.
In all, Mizzou took advantage of 18 free bases—11 walks and seven hit batsmen—handed out by Norse pitching. The Tigers cashed in six of those free passes in their first-inning onslaught that saw 17 batters come to the plate in MU’s biggest scoring rally since a 17-run outburst vs. Texas Tech on April 1, 2005.
Singles by Tucker Moore and Lovich, as well as a hit by pitch to Trevor Austin, set the stage for the rally. Colon’s first hit of the day—a single to center off NKU starter Clay Brock—chased home two runs, and Beaman forced home another when he was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. An RBI single by Hernandez and a bases-loaded walk to Drew Culbertston made it a 5-0 contest.
After a strikeout brought Brock and the Norse within one out of escaping the inning without further damage, Austin drove a three-run double into the left-center field gap to stretch the margin to eight runs. Lovich followed with a two-run homer—his third of the season—to deep left. Kaden Peer added a run-scoring single, and Beaman capped the rally with a mammoth 432-foot three-run homer to left to make it a 14-0 contest.
Mizzou, which scored in each of the first four innings, tacked on a single run in the second via a Lovich sac fly. After NKU got on the board with two runs in the third, Hernandez plated the 16th MU run with a two-out single after Beaman singled and moved to second on a wild pitch. Colon, Peer and Beaman would drive in runs in the fourth as well, extending the Tigers lead to 19-5.
The Norse (3-7) rallied for three runs in the sixth inning to slice the margin to nine runs, but the Tigers put the game on ice with another big rally in the bottom half of the inning. Colon sparked the threat with a leadoff double, then added two-run single as part of another parade of Tigers that ultimately pushed home nine more runs. Hernandez drove in two with a double, before a pair of hit batsmen forced home two baserunners. After Colon’s double to center made it a 26-10 game, Beaman drove in his sixth and seventh runs of the day to complete the scoring.
Tigers starter Carter Rustad (2-1) worked four solid innings, allowing just a pair of NKU runs in the third on two hits to earn his second win—and the 14th of his collegiate career. Josh McDevitt closed out the run-rule victory with a scoreless seventh, working around a pair of singles.
TIGER NOTEBOOK
- Saturday’s announced attendance of 1,450 fans represented the Tigers’ 20th consecutive home crowd of 1,000 or more spectators, extending back to March 15, 2023.
- Lovich extended his hit streak to a career-best five games with his first-inning single. He matched his career-high with the four RBI performance, previously achieved March 5, 2023 against Texas Southern.
- The Tigers’ 28-run performance matched its 2010 effort vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff as its best single-game output since scoring 31 runs on April 11, 2008 against Texas.
- Beaman logged career-best numbers in RBI (seven), hits (three), and runs scored (four) with his 3-for-3 day at the plate.
- Moore (2-for-4) extended his hit streak to a career-best four games.
- Hernandez (3-for-6) established Mizzou career highs with three hits, four RBIs and two runs scored.
- Austin turned in a season-high three RBIs thanks to his first-inning double.
- Colon registered career bests with four hits and five RBIs.
- Home runs by Lovich and Beaman increased the Tigers’ total to 12 on the season.
UP NEXT
The Tigers and Norse conclude their series with a 1 p.m. (CST) matchup Sunday at Taylor Stadium.
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