KTGR ESPN 100.5 FM & 1580 AM
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Jedier Hernandez’s one-out single in the bottom of the 11th inning drove home the deciding run of University of Missouri baseball’s 2-1 walk-off victory over No. 6 Florida Friday evening in the opening game of the two clubs’ Southeastern Conference series at Taylor Stadium.
Hernandez laced a 2-1 offering through the left side of the Gators infield, bringing in a hard-charging Jackson Lovich from second base to complete the Tigers’ third consecutive victory. Playing in his first game after missing nearly two weeks due to injury, Lovich doubled to start the game-clinching rally, finishing his night 2-for-4 and reaching base safely in four of his six trips to the plate.
The victory gave the Tigers (13-18, 2-8 SEC) their first win over a top 10 team since a similar walk-off victory over No. 4 Vanderbilt on the same field exactly 52 weeks ago (April 7, 2023). It also highlighted a standout dual pitching performance from starter Logan Lunceford and reliever Carter Rustad, who combined to hold the Gators (17-12, 6-4 SEC) to a season-low two hits while fanning 13 hitters in 11.0 innings. Lunceford allowed just three baserunners and struck out a season-high eight batters in his 6.0 frames, before Rustad (4-4) notched the 16th victory of his collegiate career with 5.0 innings of one-hit relief.
The Tigers built a 1-0 lead in the first, as leadoff man Jeric Curtis delivered a triple to open the contest, then trotted home on Jackson Beaman’s ground out to the right side.
Lunceford made the lead stand, working around a one-out walk in the second, then inducing an inning-ending 4-6-3 double play in the fourth. From that point, the sophomore right-hander retired seven straight UF hitters to end his night.
Rustad followed his teammate’s lead, dispatching the first three Gators he faced in the seventh, before Luke Heyman led off the eighth with his seventh homer of the season to tie the game at 1-1.
Mizzou, which left 18 runners on base in the contest, had an opportunity to reclaim the lead in the bottom half of the eighth when Trevor Austin drew a two-out walk, and Lovich was hit by a pitch to move the potential go-ahead run into scoring position.
But Florida’s Luke McNeillie (3-4) struck out Kaden Peer for the final out, then retiring the Tigers in order in the ninth and 10th innings.
Rustad locked into a groove as well, setting down eight straight UF hitters until hitting Hayden Yost with one out in the top of the 11th. The fifth-year Tiger rebounded to strike out Colby Shelton, then coaxed an inning-ending fly ball to left off the bat of Ty Evans.
Hernandez complimented Lovich’s two-hit effort with a 2-for-5 performance, while Curtis (2-for-6) logged fourth-inning single in addition to his triple in the first.
TIGER NOTEBOOK
- Missouri notched its sixth win in 37 all-time meetings with Florida.
- Hernandez recorded his sixth multi-hit game of the year and matched a single-season best with his eighth double of 2024.
- Rustad completed his fifth outing of five innings or more, striking out five and allowing just one run on one hit in his 5.0 frames.
- Curtis registered his fifth multi-hit game of his season, as well as his second career triple.
- Lovich and Austin both extended their respective on-base streaks to four games apiece.
- Lovich also notched his team-leading ninth multi-hit game of the season.
- Brock Daniels extended his hit streak to a career-best three games.
- The Tigers’ 13 punchouts is their top total against a ranked opponent since MU registered 14 strikeouts on March 25, 2023 against No. 9 South Carolina.
UP NEXT
Missouri continues its three-game series against Florida with game two Saturday (April 6). First pitch from Taylor Stadium is set for 3 p.m. (CDT) and will be streamed live on SEC Network+.
FOLLOW THE TIGERS
For all the latest information on Mizzou baseball, please visit MUTigers.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow the Tigers on X, Instagram and Facebook.
