No. 13/15 Softball Secures Sweep of RV/RV South Carolina; Fifth Seed in 2024 SEC Tournament

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Abby Hay connected on a three-run homer in the 10th inning as the No. 13/15 University of Missouri softball team (40-14, 13-11 SEC) earned its first sweep of the season after edging RV/RV South Carolina (33-21, 8-16 SEC), 5-2, Sunday at Carolina Softball Stadium at Beckham Field.

With the victory Sunday, Mizzou secured its first SEC sweep since sweeping Texas A&M April 29-May 1, 2022.

The Tigers also registered their 40th win of the campaign and have now reached 40 or more wins twice under head coach Larissa Anderson as the 2021 squad finished 42-17. Mizzou last reached 40 wins before postseason play (SEC Tournament & NCAA Tournament) in 2014 (43-18).

Missouri’s 13 SEC wins in 2024 are the most since 15 in 2021.

Mizzou also earned the fifth seed in this upcoming week’s 2024 SEC Tournament and will play the winner of No. 12 seed Kentucky and No. 13 Ole Miss Wednesday in the second game of the day (35 minutes following game two at 10 a.m., CT). The Tournament will run May 7-11 at Jane B. Moore Field in Auburn, Alabama.

With the score tied at 2-2 in the 10th inning, Mizzou put runners at the corners following a Kayley Lenger walk and an Alex Honnold base hit.

Hay then followed with her game winner, a three-run blast to center to provide Missouri a 5-2 advantage heading into the bottom half of the frame.

Taylor Pannell, the NCAA’s saves leader, returned to the circle in the bottom of the 10th, securing the Tigers victory in her fourth inning of work. After surrendering a leadoff single and a walk, Pannell closed the door with three straight outs with a pair of Gamecocks in scoring position.

Pannell, a sophomore from Lee’s Summit, Missouri, pitched a career-best four innings, allowing just one hit and two walks (0 runs). She also tallied a personal-best four strikeouts in the victory, improving to 2-1.

The Gamecocks struck first Sunday with a sacrifice fly from Bre Warren in the fourth.

Mizzou responded an inning later with a two-run homer from Kara Daly. Daly blasted her seventh bomb of the season to pull the Tigers ahead 2-1.

The Gamecocks retied the contest with a double steal in the fifth (2-2).

Laurin Krings was given the start Sunday, allowing zero earned runs (one run) on four hits over 4.0 innings for the no-decision.

Lilly Whitten (1.1 IP, one run on two hits) and Marissa McCann (0.2 IP, no runs on no hits) both saw action out of the bullpen.

Mizzou was limited to two hits through seven innings before notching four in extras.

Maddie Gallagher, a former Gamecock, paced Mizzou at the plate, going 2-for-4 with a double and a walk.

GAME NOTES

• Abby Hay registered her third home run of the season to propel Mizzou to the extra innings victory Sunday.
• Abby Hay finished 1-for-5 with three RBI and a run for her fourth multi-RBI game of the season.
• Maddie Gallagher, a former Gamecock, paced Mizzou at the plate, going 2-for-4 with a double and a walk.
• Maddie Gallagher is now third on Mizzou with seven multi-hit games.
• Alex Honnold extended her reached base streak to 10 games, notching a single (1-for-5, one run and a stolen base).
• Alex Honnold is now three hits away from 200 in her career.
• Kara Daly blasted her seventh home run of the season in the fifth inning Sunday. She finished 1-for-4 with two RBI and a run.
• Kara Daly now has 30 career homers at Mizzou.
• Kara Daly notched her team-leading eighth multi-RBI game.
• Julia Crenshaw chipped in a hit (1-for-4) Sunday.
• Taylor Pannell, the NCAA’s saves leader, pitched a career-best four innings, allowing just one hit and two walks (0 runs). She also tallied a personal-best four strikeouts in the victory, improving to 2-1 in 2024.
• Laurin Krings was given the start Sunday, allowing zero earned runs (one run) on four hits over 4.0 innings for the no-decision.
• Lilly Whitten (1.1 IP, one run on two hits) and Marissa McCann (0.2 IP, no runs on no hits) both saw action out of the bullpen.
• The Tigers registered their 40th win of the campaign Sunday and have now reached 40 or more wins twice under head coach Larissa Anderson as the 2021 squad finished 42-17.
• Mizzou last reached 40 wins before postseason play (SEC Tournament & NCAA Tournament) in 2014 (43-18).
• Missouri’s 13 SEC wins in 2024 are the most since 15 in 2021.
• Mizzou picked up its third-straight SEC series sweep of South Carolina, dating back to 2021 (April 1-3).
• With the victory Sunday, Mizzou secured its first SEC sweep since sweeping Texas A&M April 29-May 1, 2022.
• Mizzou is 17-9 versus South Carolina all-time.
• Larissa Anderson is 11-4 against the Gamecocks in her coaching career.

LOOKING AHEAD

• The Tigers next look to postseason play, beginning with the 2024 SEC Tournament, which is slated for May 7-11 at Jane B. Moore Field in Auburn, Alabama.
• Mizzou earned and will play the winner of No. 12 seed Kentucky and No. 13 Ole Miss Wednesday in the second game of the day (35 minutes following game two at 10 a.m., CT).

FOLLOW THE TIGERS

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