Missouri Baseball Blown Away by Southeast Missouri State in Home Opener
“Missouri goes to the pen”
Missouri pitching struggled today to say the least. That defined the game for the Tigers.
In a very windy game against the Southeast Missouri State Redhawks, the Missouri Tigers just couldn’t get a handle on their pitches. Missouri dropped their home opener 8-3 as the game ended in the eighth due to lightning in the area.
The game seemed like it was going to be a bullpen game from the start when Missouri announced that sophomore left-hander Daniel Wissler would be making his first collegiate start after 22 innings of relief pitch over the past two seasons. But many would not have guessed how many times Missouri had to go to the pen. For the record, it was seven times.
The pitching started out strong with Wissler quickly striking out the side in the first inning, but it soured from there. Wissler gave up a home run on the first pitch of the second inning and a single before being taken out.
Missouri went to the bullpen for the first time in the game for right-hander Victor Quinn, which did not go well. Quinn walked his first batter, hit the next two, got a player to hit into a double play, and hit another player before he was taken out.
Charlie Miller was the next Tiger to take the mound. Missouri got a solid inning of relief from Miller as he punched out the first two SEMO batters and induced a groundout from the third.
The next victim was right-hander Miles Garrett. It seems that he could not get a pitch to find the zone, walking four batters in a row to add to SEMO’s lead. Nic Smith entered the game as his replacement and hit the first batter.
Hitting the batter he faced wasn’t the worst thing Smith did. He gave up a grand slam over the right field wall to Bryce Cannon. That was Cannon’s third home run and the Redhawks first grand slam of the year. Smith struggled to get out of the inning, allowing two baserunners before he was able to induce a ground out to end it.
After multiple rough innings for the Tigers, Ben Pederson came in and put up an easy inning for Missouri with a strikeout, popout and groundout. But it went right back to struggling after.
Next up on the mound was Kaden Jacobi. The junior right-hander gave up two hits and hit a player in the seventh to load the bases, but a crucial throw from Isaiah Frost held the runner on third.
Missouri went to the bullpen once more for right-hander Josh McDevitt. He managed to get two outs before he hit a batter, but followed that up with a flyout.
The Missouri offense got some scattered hits, but couldn’t seem to put a solid string of hits together. Through the fifth inning, the Redhawks had the lead 8-2 despite having the same amount of hits. The game ended with SEMO having only one more hit than the Tigers. The difference? Walks and hit-by-pitches given up by Missouri.
"We just walked too many people, we hit too many people," Head Coach Kerrick Jackson said, "That's the difference in the game."
Missouri was finally able to break through in the fifth inning and put up two runs with the help of a passed ball and an error by SEMO. They scratched back another run with a solo home run from Tucker Moore, but weren't able to get anything else.
On the basepath, Kaden Peer started the second inning with a walk but didn’t stay on base long. Drew Culbertson sent a ball down the first base line and during some confusion if a ball went foul, Peer was tagged out after straying from second. In the third inning, Brock Daniels was tagged out on a stolen base attempt.
Missouri moved to 4-4 on the season and SEMO improves to 3-6. Missouri has their first home series against Northern Kentucky starting on Friday, March 1 at 6 p.m. at Taylor Stadium.
Live Updates:
| Missouri Lineup | Southeast Missouri Lineup |
|---|---|
Tucker Moore, RF | Ben Palmer, SS |
Trevor Austin, 2B | Brooks Kettering, 2B |
Jackson Lovich, 1B | Michael Mugan, CF |
Danny Corona, 3B | Chance Resetich, 3B |
Kaden Peer, CF | Bryce Cannon, 1B |
Drew Culbertson, SS | Josh Cameron, RF |
Isaiah Frost, LF | Gavin Baldwin, DH |
Jedier Hernandez, C | Ty Stauss, LF |
Brock Daniels, DH | Shea McGahan, C |
Eighth Inning:
Top- Missouri goes to the pen once more for Josh McDevitt.
McDevitt was able to leave one player on.
Bottom- After an hour of lightning delay, the game has been called.
Seventh Inning:
Top- Missouri goes to the bullpen for the sixth time in the game for Kaden Jacobi.
After Jacobi allowed a hit, Jedier Hernandez caught Bryce Cannon stealing.
Josh Cameron got a hit and advanced on a passed ball. Jacobi hit the next batter with a pitch.
Ty Stauss put the ball in left field, but Missouri was able to hold Cameron on third.
Bottom- Ethan Osborne comes out for the Redhawks and Gavin Johnston comes in.
Tucker Moore sent a solo home run over the right field wall.
8-3 Redhawks
Sixth Inning:
Top- Missouri goes to the bullpen again for their sixth pitcher, right-hander Ben Pedersen.
The Tigers aren't helping themselves by switching pitchers each inning, none of them can find rhythm.
Bottom- Ethan Osborne comes in to pitch for SEMO.
Kaden Peer gets his second hit of the game with a bunt. Missouri strands two at the end of the inning.
Fifth Inning:
Top- Missouri goes to the bullpen for right-hander Miles Garrett. This is the third time the Tigers have gone to the bullpen.
Garrett walked the four straight batters to add to SEMO's lead. He did not get an out before the Tigers went back to the bullpen for left-hander Nic Smith.
3-0 Redhawks
Nic Smith hit the first batter he faced to let another SEMO player cross home.
4-0 Redhawks
The extreme wind in Columbia allows Bryce Cannon to hit a grand slam over the right field wall to extend their lead.
8-0 Redhawks
Smith finally was able to strike out a SEMO batter, but then gave up another hit and a walk. Missouri was finally able to end the inning with a ground out.
Bottom- Isaiah Frost walked to begin Missouri's half of the inning. Jedier Hernandez lined a single between first and second for the Tigers' fourth hit.
The Tigers and Redhawks have the same amount of hits, despite the major difference in lead.
SEMO goes to their bullpen for the first time of the game. Right-hander Payton Lawrence comes in for the Redhawks.
A passed ball allows Frost and Hernandez to advance and a ground out from Brock Daniels put the Tigers on the board.
8-1 Redhawks
Missouri got a blessing in an error committed by SEMO to allow Trevor Austin to reach first and Hernandez to score.
8-2 Redhawks
Fouth Inning:
Top- Charlie Miller struck out the first two batters he faced and got SEMO to ground out for the third out.
Bottom-
Kaden Peer hit a double to left center with two outs, but Drew Culbertson struck out to end the inning.
Missouri can't seem to get a solid string of hits together and stay on the bases. The Tigers have been tagged out on the base path twice in the game.
Third Inning:
Top- Missouri goes to the pen for Victor Quinn. Quinn loaded the bases with a walk and two hit batsmen. A double play gets two outs in the inning, but another run scores.
2-0 Redhawks
Quinn hits a third batter in the inning and Missouri goes back to the pen for Charlie Miller. Miller is able to strand two on base to end the inning.
Bottom- Jedier Hernandez lines it to the pitcher for the first out of the inning.
Brock Daniels walked to put a man on, but then was tagged out stealing second.
Tucker Moore lines a hit into shallow left, but Trevor Austin pops out to end the inning.
Second Inning:
Top- Chance Resetich sent a ball over the wall in right center to give the Redhawks the lead.
Josh Cameron hit a single and was advanced to second on a groundout to second baseman Trevor Austin.
Another groundout ends the inning, SEMO put up two hits in the inning.
1-0 Redhawks
Bottom- Missouri starts the inning with a walk from Kaden Peer, but he gets tagged out at second after he thought Drew Culbertson's ball went foul and roamed off the base.
SEMO ends the inning with a strikeout of Isaiah Frost
First inning:
Top- Missouri left-hander Daniel Wissler quickly struck out the side for his first collegiate start.
Bottom- Jackson Lovich sent a single past SEMO third baseman Chance Resetich, but Danny Corona grounded out to end the inning.
What: Missouri Tigers (4-3) at Southeast Missouri State Redhawks (2-6)
Where: Taylor Stadium, Columbia, Mo.
When: Tuesday, Feb. 27, at 5 p.m. CT
Watch: ESPN+
Series: Missouri leads 24-13 with the first meeting occurring on April 16, 1986. The Tigers have won against the Redhawks in their last two outings with their most recent win on May 3, 2022.
Last time out, SEMO: The Redhawks avoided a sweep with a game four win against St. Thomas. SEMO was able to earn their first double-digit run game of the season to crush St. Thomas 10-3 after three straight losses to them.
Last time out, Missouri: The Tigers picked up an 11th inning comeback win in the second game of their doubleheader against UC San Diego on Saturday, Feb. 24. This set Missouri up with a win heading into their home opener.
Pitching Matchup: Daniel Wissler vs. Sam Heyman