As Evan Funkhouser stepped to the plate for Lindenwood, trailing by two runs with the bases loaded and no outs, it seemed as if Jacob Peaden would blow his second save in a row. However, he and Missouri’s defense escaped the inning allowing only one run to hold on for a 5-4 victory.

Daniel Wissler got the start for the Tigers and pitched a solid first five innings, allowing only one run. Charlie Miller was fantastic in relief, but questions still remain about the depth of the bullpen.

Other than a 2-3 debut for Matt Garcia, the Tigers’ bats struggled immensely on Tuesday, but the team found a way to win anyways. 

The win was a “step in the right direction,” according to head coach Kerrick Jackson. 

The Tigers made numerous changes to the starting lineup Tuesday. Danny Corona, Mateo Serna, and Jeric Curtis notched their way back into the lineup, and Matt Garcia made his season debut at shortstop after being kept out of the lineup with a hand injury. He finished the day 2-3.

“It’s good to have that presence and the calmness back,” Coach Jackson said of Garcia’s return. 

It was a difficult day for offense as the light rain and cold weather put a lot of pressure on hitters. Mizzou struggled from the plate, scoring only five runs.

DH Dawson Hokuf led things off for the Lions in the top of the second and opened the scoring. After being denied an at-bat in the first inning after Colin Shea was picked off, Hokuf made his presence felt. He drilled a ball over the right field fence for a solo shot to give Lindenwood the lead and tallied his third home run of the year.

Mizzou finally got the bats warm in the bottom of the fourth. Tucker Moore and Trevor Austin kicked the inning off with a pair of singles. After a litany of throwing errors, Moore scored Mizzou’s first run. 

Mizzou plated three more after a bases-loaded walk and a two-RBI single from Mateo Serna, giving them a 4-1 lead at the end of four.

Other than the blip in the second, Daniel Wissler was solid through five innings of work. With that, Kerrick Jackson went to his bullpen. He turned to Ian McDevitt, who struggled in his first inning for work, giving up two runs off an RBI single from Logan Stevens and a squeeze bunt off the bat of Jack Meyer, cutting the Mizzou lead to 4-3.

The next two innings were dominated by strong pitching in relief as Lindenwood’s Jett Jackson gave up only one in a few innings of work while Mizzou’s Charlie Miller pitched two solid innings, allowing no runs.

Kerrick Jackson once again called Jacob Peaden to the mound in the ninth to hold a 5-3 lead after a blown save on Sunday, and he delivered on this occasion. After a walk, an infield single, and a bunt for a hit; Lindenwood loaded the bases with no outs.  Peaden appeared destined for a repeat of Sunday’s disaster, but a 3-pitch strikeout and a chopper to third base cleared one runner off the bases but allowed a run to score.

Peaden then faced off against James Jett, now with a one-run lead and runners on first and third with two outs. 

The Davidson transfer locked in to punch out his second batter of the inning and notch the save, holding on to Mizzou’s 5-4 lead.

Jackson joked, “If he keeps doing what he’s doing, he’s gonna give us a heart attack.”

As Peaden develops as a closer, Jackson harped on the idea that mentality is just as important as anything, and hopes that he will continue to “come into his own.”

Mizzou will have a four-game series this weekend against Purdue-Ft. Wayne while Lindenwood travels to Kentucky to take on Murray State.