No. 13/13 Softball Grabs Opener on No. 9/9 Georgia Friday

ATHENS, Ga.  – The No. 13/13 University of Missouri softball team (35-11, 8-8 SEC) emerged victorious in game one of its SEC weekend series against No. 9/9 Georgia (34-11, 8-8 SEC) Friday at Jack Turner Softball Stadium, taking the opener on the Bulldogs, 4-2.

This victory moves Mizzou to 35-11 (8-8 SEC) for the 2024 season, as the Bulldogs fall to 34-11 (8-8 SEC). With the win, Missouri matched its overall win total from 2023 and surpassed the Tigers’ SEC win total of seven from last spring.

Missouri has now registered 35 wins in five of the last six seasons (2020 COVID-19 shortened season was the only time the Tigers didn’t meet the threshold in that span).

Senior Laurin Krings secured her 50th win as a Tiger while logging 5.1 innings pitched and allowing two runs on five hits.

The Tigers momentum began after Krings recorded her first strikeout of the night to close out the bottom of the first inning. She would go on to finish the contest with a total of four.

MU then struck first in the bottom of the second inning when freshman Abby Hay recorded her first career triple that bounced off the top of the right field wall. Hay would eventually come around to score after a Stefania Abruscato RBI groundout to second base.

The Bulldogs responded quickly in the bottom half of the inning and threatened Mizzou with bases loaded. However, Krings fought her way back and escaped the jam to keep Georgia off the board.

A third-inning two out rally allowed the Tigers to keep the pressure on the home team until Georgia pitcher Lilli Backes battled her way back to prevent MU from crossing home plate.

Mizzou’s offense did not stop there as an 11-pitch Kayley Lenger at bat resulted in a double down the right field line in the top of the fifth inning. After a throwing error on a single to left field by Alex Honnold, the Tigers were able clear the bases and plate two runs to increase the lead to 3-0. 

Katie Chester would enter the game to pinch hit for junior Mya Dodge in the top of the sixth inning and quickly made her impact felt, ripping a double off the wall in left center to bring home Julia Crenshaw for the fourth run of the game.

In the bottom half of the inning, the Bulldogs did their best to fight back into the contest as a pair of RBI singles to left field from Sydney Kuma and Dallis Goodnight cut the lead to 4-2.

Freshman Marissa McCann was called in from the bullpen to finish the inning for Missouri, striking out the second batter she faced before concluding the frame with a flyout.

Taylor Pannell then entered the circle for the final frame and finished out the contest for the Tigers while recording her NCAA-leading 10th save of the season.

GAME NOTES

• Abby Hay recorded her first career triple in the top of the second inning.
• With a single in the top of the sixth inning, Abby Hay logged her third multi-hit game of the season. Hay finished Friday with a career-best matching 2-for-2 day with a run and a walk.
• Alex Honnold posted a pair of hits (2-for-3) to go with a run and a walk. She is second on Mizzou in 2024 with 15 multi-hit games.
• Laurin Krings logged 5.1 innings pitched and allowing two runs on five hits for the win.
• Laurin Krings secured her 50th career win as a Tiger with the victory Friday, she now sits one win away from breaking into the Mizzou program top 10 list for wins.
• Laurin Krings notched her 10th victory of her 2024 campaign (10-7 in 2024, third SEC win).
• Laurin Krings recorded her 90th strikeout of the season (542 career strikeouts) while finishing the night with four.
• Pinch hitter Katie Chester tallied her fifth double of the season. She also drove home an RBI.
• Kayley Lenger also added a double Friday, battling through an 11-pitch at bat.
• Maddie Gallagher was plunked by a pair of pitches Friday and is second on Mizzou with 12 HBP in 2024. She has now reached base in eight straight games.
• Alex Honnold, Kayley Lenger, and Abby Hay have all posted a hit in each game this week.
• Taylor Pannell added her 10th save of the season, as she continues to lead the NCAA in this category. She notched a strikeout over the seventh inning.
• Marissa McCann made her 19th appearance of the season, allowing one hit (no runs) to go with a strikeout over 0.2 innings.
• With the win Friday, Missouri matched its overall win (35) total from 2023 and surpassed the Tigers’ SEC win total of seven from last spring.
• Missouri has now registered 35 wins in five of the last six seasons (2020 COVID-19 shortened season was the only time the Tigers didn’t meet the threshold in that span).
• Mizzou is 10-14 in the all-time series versus the Bulldogs.
• Head Coach Larissa Anderson is 4-5 all time versus Georgia.

 LOOKING AHEAD

• Due to rain in Sunday’s forecast, Missouri and Georgia will now play a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 1 p.m., CT.  The second game will begin 45 minutes after the conclusion of the 1 p.m. game.
• Saturday’s game one of the doubleheader will be on SEC Network with Mike Couzens and Natasha Watley on the linear broadcast. Game two will be on SEC Network+.
• Mizzou next returns to Columbia for a Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Senior Weekend Series against 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).