COLUMBIA, Mo. – Keegan Knutson’s two-out double in the bottom of the ninth inning lifted University of Missouri baseball to an 8-7 comeback victory that completed a two-game sweep of Arkansas Pine-Bluff Wednesday evening at Taylor Stadium.
With two out in the ninth, Knutson lined a 3-1 pitch into the left-center field gap to bring in Isaiah Frost from second base with the game-winning run. The Tigers (11-17) overcame an early 5-0 deficit with a trio of two-run rallies, then pulled even on Kaden Peer’s RBI-triple in the seventh.
Pierre Seals led Mizzou with a 3-for-4 night that included his second home run as a Tiger – a leadoff blast in the second that sparked the MU comeback after UAPB plated five runs in the top half of the inning. Brady Picarelli added a solo shot later in the second to cut the deficit to three runs, and Chris Patterson drove in a pair with his two-out single in the third.
UAPB (5-25) pushed home single tallies in the third and fourth frames to take a 7-4 advantage, but Knutson’s ground ball to second produced another Missouri run in the bottom of the fourth. With two out, Seals came through once again, driving a base hit to left to bring home Jackson Lovich, who singled after Peer reached on a hit by pitch to open the inning.
Peer would play a starring role in the game-tying rally in the seventh as well with his two-out triple to center that chased home Patterson to pull the Tigers even at 7-7.
Mizzou’s bullpen helped deliver the victory as well, with the trio of Ben Smith, Brock Lucas and Xavier Lovett combining to blank the Golden Lions on three hits over the final five innings. After Lucas worked scoreless sixth and seventh frames, Lovett (1-1) worked out of a bases-loaded, nobody-out jam in the eighth by inducing three straight ground balls to keep UAPB off the board. Lovett also received a lift from his defense in the ninth, with Jedier Hernandez cutting down a would-be base-stealer for the second out, before the right-hander fanned Jason Moss with a pair of runners on base to end the inning.
Lovich then reached on an error to open the decisive ninth and the junior infielder’s steal of second set the stage for Knutson’s heroics.
In addition to multi-hit and multi-RBI games by Seals and Knutson, Peer reached base safely in five of his six trips to the plate, finishing 1-for-2 with two walks and two HBP’s.
TIGER NOTEBOOK
- With the victory, the Tigers improved to 8-1 all-time vs. UAPB.
- Mizzou also hiked its home record to 7-10 this season.
- The win marked Mizzou’s second come-from-behind victory of 2025.
- Seals matched his Mizzou career high with three hits; he also established a career best with two RBIs.
- Peer has reached base safely via a hit, walk, or hit by pitch in 21 consecutive games.
- Peer also extended his hitting streak to eight games with his game-tying triple.
- Patterson’s RBI-single in the third extended his hitting streak to four games.
- Lovett earned his first career mound victory in 26 total appearances spanning four seasons.
- Seals and Picarelli both connected with solo home runs in the second inning, marking the Tigers’ first multi-home run inning since the eighth inning on March 14 against LSU.
- Cayden Nicoletto made his second pitching appearance as a Tiger, working a scoreless one-third of an inning in the third.
- Tony Neubeck made his first mound appearance for the Tigers since March 19, 2023 – a span of 745 days; he worked the fourth inning, allowing one run on two hits with a strikeout.
- Daniel Wissler also made his first pitching appearance since Feb. 15 vs. UConn, drawing the start and working 2/3 of an inning.
- MU drew 10 walks in the contest, marking the second-straight game the Tigers totaled double-digit walks after coaxing 12 from UAPB in Tuesday’s series opener.
- Mizzou also logged its 17th double-digit hit total of 2025.
UP NEXT
Mizzou will open a three-game Southeastern Conference series with No. 2 Arkansas Friday evening in Fayetteville. First pitch from Baum-Walker Stadium is slated for 7 p.m.
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