Mizzou Baseball Drops Series Opener Against Binghamton in Extra Innings

In a back-and-forth 13-inning game, the Tigers fought hard in their 8-7 loss.

Left-hander Ian Lohse throws from the mound against the Binghamton Bearcats. | Mizzou Athletics

The Missouri Tigers experienced their first extra-innings game of the 2025 campaign. It did not go as they may have wished.

Mizzou dropped game one against the Binghamton Bearcats. The 8-7 game ended in the 13th inning. Right-hand reliever Xavier Lovett went five innings and struck out five to nearly close the game for the Tigers.

Cayden Nicoletto has spent his season rotating between the bench, first and right field. He hadn't made any notable plays in any of the places, but wasn't a liability either. Nicoletto got the start at first base and flashed the glove a couple of times.

He paired that performance with his first triple of the season. A knock down the right field line in the third inning was his third extra-base hit of the season and later made him the first runner to cross the plate in the game. He then became the go-ahead run in the bottom of the fifth, after getting on base from a fielder's choice.

Outside of Nicoletto, the Tigers tagged on four more runs in the fifth inning. They earned four hits in the inning and brought one in off of a balk. The inning ended on a double that was over-ran by right-fielder Pierre Seals.

Seals had an eventful game, but not in a good way. He misplayed two balls in the outfield, one being saved by centerfielder Kaden Peer. Peer was in the right-field spot by the time of the catch. The other ball dropped along the right-field line, while Seals was still standing in his original spot, which resulted in a double.

They Bearcats knocked in two runs in the top of the fourth off of Mizzou starter Ian Lohse to kick off the scoring for Binghamton. Lohse went 5 1/3 innings and gave up five runs, the last two were brought in by right-hand reliever James Vaughn in the top of the sixth inning. These runs tied the game.

The go-ahead run for the Bearcats came in off of right-hand reliever PJ Green on an RBI groundout in the top of the eighth. With two outs in the inning, the Tigers handed the ball to fellow right-hand reliever Xavier Lovett to hold down the rest of the game. He finished out the eighth and tossed a scoreless ninth.

The Tigers weren't able to take the lead after nine, so Lovett had to toss a scoreless 10th inning, 11th inning and 12th inning.

Mizzou had the chance for the walk-off, but second baseman Peyton Basler was thrown out at home in the 12th inning. Binghamton finally took the lead in the 13th inning.

The Tigers finally went to a new pitcher in the middle of the 13th inning, putting in right-hander Brock Lucas after a run was brought in by Lovett.

Missouri moves to 6-7 on the season and Binghamton moves to 4-6. The Tigers will take the field at Taylor stadium for game one of their doubleheader against the Bearcats at 1 p.m. on Saturday, March 8.