No. 13/13 Softball Drops Saturday Doubleheader at No. 9/9 Georgia

ATHENS, Ga. – The No. 13/13 University of Missouri softball team (35-13, 8-10 SEC) dropped its series-wrapping doubleheader at No. 9/9 Georgia (35-11, 9-8 SEC) Saturday at Jack Turner Softball Stadium.

The Bulldogs secured the weekend series, 2-1, with a pair of 4-2 victories Saturday.

All three games of the weekend series ended with a score of 4-2 as Mizzou grabbed the opener Friday night.

Game 1: No. 9/9 Georgia 4, No. 13/13 Missouri 2

Following a leadoff double and a walk in the bottom of the second, Cierra Harrison fought back, retiring the next two Georgia batters via strikeout. However, the Bulldogs struck first as Emily Digby doubled to score two to provide Georgia a 2-0 advantage.

After a leadoff double from Abby Hay, Kara Daly brought home Hay with a sacrifice fly to pull the Tigers back within one, 2-1, in the fourth.

Georgia then extended its lead to 4-1, following a two-run homer from Sydney Chambley in the bottom of the fourth.

Lilly Whitten was called in from the bullpen in the fifth inning. Following a lead-off single to commence the inning, Whitten battled back, retiring three-straight Bulldog hitters following a fielder’s choice to keep the score at 4-1.

Alex Honnold and Hay tallied singles to begin the top of the sixth and both advanced to scoring position following a fielding error from Georgia. Honnold scored on a Georgia error to cut the score to 4-2.

Claire Cahalan entered the game in the top of the seventh as a pinch hitter and recorded a leadoff single in her home state of Georgia. However, the Bulldogs used a bases-clearing double play and flyout to close out the contest.

Cierra Harrison pitched 4.0 innings, allowing four runs on six hits in the start. Harrison tallied three strikeouts.

Lilly Whitten pitched 2.0 innings in relief and allowed just one hit in the contest.

GAME NOTES

• Alex Honnold ended the day going 2-for-3 with a run.
• Abby Hay added a 2-for-3 performance with a double and a run.
• Danielle Blackstun and Adi Koller each made appearances as pinch runners in the sixth inning.
• Claire Cahalan pinch hit in the seventh inning and recorded a single for her third hit of the season. The Columbus, Georgia, native, notched a hit in her home state Saturday.
• Kara Daly went 1-for-1 with an RBI.
• Kayley Lenger added a 1-for-3 day.
• Cierra Harrison pitched 4.0 innings, allowing four runs on six hits. Harrison tallied three strikeouts.
• Cierra Harrison has recorded three or more punchouts in six consecutive appearances.
• Lilly Whitten pitched 2.0 innings in relief and allowed just one hit in the contest.

Game 2: No. 9/9 Georgia 4, No. 13/13 Missouri 2

Georgia struck first in the series finale, scoring on an RBI sacrifice fly from Sarah Goodwin in the bottom of the first.

The Bulldog lead didn’t last long as Mizzou evened the contest at 1-1 on a solo shot from Kara Daly in the second. Daly, a junior from Jefferson City, Missouri, blasted her sixth homer of the campaign to left center.

Missouri then pulled ahead with a round tripper from freshman Abby Hay. Hay notched her second dinger of the season, both in SEC play, in the third frame.

Georgia then utilized a three-run third to pull ahead and secure the series. Dallis Goodnight reached on an error to retie the game at 2-2 before an RBI sacrifice fly and an RBI sacrifice bunt broke the stalemate.

Mizzou looked to pull off the comeback in the seventh, rattling off three-straight one-out singles to load the bases. With Alex Honnold, Maddie Gallagher, and Hay aboard, Georgia pitcher Lilli Backes closed the door with a strikeout followed by a flyout.

Laurin Krings pitched 4.0 innings out of the bullpen, allowing just one run on no hits. She notched four strikeouts in the relief appearance.

Marissa McCann made the start, letting up three runs (two earned) on three hits over 2.0 innings.

GAME NOTES

• Alex Honnold (2-for-4), Abby Hay (2-for-3), and Kara Daly (2-for-3) each posted two hits in the series finale.
• Alex Honnold notched her Mizzou program-best 20th double of the season. She now is the sole leader in the record books for the category, surpassing Mary Babb (19 in 1995). 
• Alex Honnold has posted a hit in each of her last four games. Honnold also paces Mizzou with a team-high 17 multi-hit games.
• Abby Hay notched her second homer of the season (both in SEC play) in the third inning.
• Kara Daly notched a double and a solo homer in the series finale. Daly, a junior from Jefferson City, Missouri, blasted her sixth homer of the campaign in the second.
• Kara Daly tallied her seventh multi-hit game which ranks third on Mizzou.
• Abby Hay has tallied a hit in four straight games and two hits in each of the last three games. She has also recorded an extra-base hit in three-straight games for the first time in her career.
• Abby Hay‘s two hits marked her fifth multi-hit performance of the season which paces the Mizzou freshmen.
• Maddie Gallagher (walk) and Kayley Lenger each went 1-for-3.
• Kayley Lenger recorded a hit for the fourth consecutive contest.
• Laurin Krings pitched 4.0 innings out of the bullpen, allowing just one run on no hits. She notched four strikeouts in the relief appearance.
• Marissa McCann made the start, letting up three runs (two earned) on three hits over 2.0 innings.
• Larissa Anderson now moves to 5-7 vs. Georgia in her career as head coach of the Tigers.
• Mizzou drops to 11-16 in the all-time series against the Bulldogs.

LOOKING AHEAD 

• Mizzou next returns to Columbia for a Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Senior Weekend Series against No. 17/17 Mississippi State April 27-29 at the Mizzou Softball Stadium.
• All three games will be broadcasted on SEC Network.
• Saturday, April 27 is Faculty and Staff Appreciation Day and fans in attendance will receive black shirts, while supplies last.
• Sunday, April 28 is Senior Day, and the Tigers will recognize its five seniors in Maddie Gallagher, Jenna Laird, Laurin Krings, Alex Honnold, and Chantice Phillips following the game. The giveaway is Gold T-shirts, while supplies last.
• April 29 is Mic’d Up Monday with head coach Larissa Anderson. The giveaway for the series finale is a Truman Sliding Bobblehead, while supplies last.

FOLLOW THE TIGERS

• For all the latest on Mizzou Softball, stay tuned to MUTigers.com and follow the team @MizzouSoftball (Twitter, Instagram, Facebook).