KTGR ESPN 100.5 FM & 1580 AM
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The No. 14/15 University of Missouri softball team (33-11, 7-8 SEC) dropped its series finale with No. 9 Florida (35-9, 10-5 SEC), 3-1, Sunday afternoon at the Mizzou Softball Stadium.
Missouri won its third SEC series of the 2024 campaign, taking two of three with the Gators. MU also picked up its first series win over Florida since 2014 (April 25-27, 2-1).
With a Sunday attendance number of 3,109 fans, Mizzou set a new program weekend series attendance record of 9,565. The previous record was set earlier this season in the series against No. 2/3 LSU with 8,277 fans in attendance the weekend of March 22-24.
Florida jumped out to an early 2-0 lead courtesy of a two-run homer from Ava Brown in the second.
Maddie Gallagher’s fourth-inning single was her second time on base in the contest and was the Tigers first hit of the day. The Gators fought back and shut out the inning, leaving Gallagher on first.
Florida then increased its advantage to 3-0 on an RBI single from Jocelyn Erickson in the fifth as Mizzou was limited to just one hit Sunday.
Marissa McCann came on in relief of Laurin Krings in the fifth and registered another strong performance in the circle. The freshman from Surprise, Arizona, did not allow a hit or a run over her 2.2 innings with her lone blemish being a walk.
Mizzou cut the deficit to 3-1 in the fifth as Mya Dodge notched an RBI groundout to bring pinch runner Danielle Blackstun home.
Krings pitched 4.1 innings in the start, allowing three runs on seven hits with a trio of strikeouts and two walks.
GAME NOTES
- Maddie Gallagher has posted a hit in each of the last six games. She went 1-for-2 with a walk.
- Maddie Gallagher led Mizzou over the Florida series with a batting average of .375 and three RBI.
- Jenna Laird compiled her team-leading 17-game reached base streak over the series with Florida. She batted .333 over the Florida series with three RBI.
- Abby Hay logged her ninth start in a row and her 11th of the season.
- Laurin Krings moved into the top ten in program history for innings pitched, with 517.2 innings after the series against Florida.
- Laurin Krings moved up to sixth in program history with 538 career strikeouts at the end of the series against Florida.
- Mya Dodge notched an RBI to bring Danielle Blackstun home for Missouri’s one run. The RBI was Dodge’s 19th of the 2024 season.
- Danielle Blackstun tallied her 14th run of the season.
- Marissa McCann pitched 2.2 innings in relief of starter Laurin Krings, allowing no runs and no hits.
- Marissa McCann made three appearances over the Florida series and pitched 7.1 innings, only allowing one hit and one walk. She finished the weekend 1-0 with four strikeouts.
- Stefania Abruscato was hit by a pitch, advancing the team to 62 HBPs this season. Missouri ranks first for HBP in the SEC.
- Mizzou notched a new program record weekend series attendance mark with 9,565 fans attending the weekend series. The previous record was set earlier this season in the series against No. 2/3 LSU with 8,277 fans in attendance the weekend of March 22-24.
- Mizzou advances its all-time series record against Florida to 8-18.
- Head coach Larissa Anderson is now 4-7 against the Gators in her career.
LOOKING AHEAD
- Mizzou next hosts SIUE in a midweek matchup at Mizzou Softball Stadium on Wednesday, April 17. First pitch is set for 5 p.m., CT.
- Fans will receive Mizzou bucket hats, while supplies last. The game will be streamed on SEC Network+.
- The Tigers then resume SEC play with a weekend road-series at Georgia April 19-21.
FOLLOW THE TIGERS
- For all the latest on Mizzou Softball, stay tuned to MUTigers.com and follow the team @MizzouSoftball (Twitter, Instagram, Facebook).
