No. 14/15 Softball Grabs Series Win on No. 9 Florida Saturday

COLUMBIA, Mo. – The No. 14/15 University of Missouri softball team (33-10, 7-7 SEC) topped No. 9 Florida (34-9, 9-5 SEC), 5-2, Saturday afternoon at the Mizzou Softball Stadium to secure the series win over the Gators.

Missouri won its third SEC series of the 2024 campaign Saturday and picked up its first series win over Florida since 2014 (April 25-27).

Mizzou celebrated Alumni Day and All for Alex Saturday in front of a program-best 3,607 fans at the Mizzou Softball Stadium.

Florida jumped out to an early lead in the first on a Jocelyn Erickson two-run homer.

The Tigers then shut the Gators out the rest of the day, limited the visitors to just five hits. Missouri propelled in front of Florida with a four-run second inning on three hits.

Trailing 2-0, senior Jenna Laird got Mizzou on the board with a two-run double to even the game.

Senior Alex Honnold then recorded her SEC-leading 18th double on the year to plate Laird. Honnold then came around to score on some savvy baserunning from Maddie Gallagher, who poked a single to left before getting into a run down between first and second to score Honnold.

Junior Mya Dodge increased the Tigers advantage to 5-2 with a solo shot in the third inning, her fourth home run of the year.

Missouri was supported in the circle by sophomore Cierra Harrison, who recorded her 12th (2-2 SEC) win of the year. The Lee’s Summit, Missouri, native went 4.1 innings, allowing just two runs on five hits and notching four strikeouts.

Harrison pitched around a bases loaded jam in the fourth earning a strikeout before a flyout to keep Florida off the board. 

Freshman Marissa McCann then came on in relief of Harrison, allowing no hits and no runs, retiring every batter she faced in 1.2 innings of work with a strikeout.

Sophomore Taylor Pennell came in to close the seventh, allowing zero hits for her SEC-best eighth save of the year.

GAME NOTES

• Jenna Laird logged her second game of the season with three hits, ending the day 3-for-4 with a double and pair of RBIs.
• It marked her team-leading 16th multi-hit game and seventh multi-RBI game.
• Jenna Laird extended her reached base streak to 17 games.
• Jenna Laird moved to fifth in Mizzou program history with 712 career at-bats.
• Abby Hay secured her second career multi-hit performance with a pair of singles in the contest. She finished with a career-best matching two hits (2-for-4)
• Abby Hay logged her eighth start in a row and her tenth of the season.
• Abby Hay improved her reached base streak to 10.
• Alex Honnold is now tied with Micaela Minner (2007) for second all-time for single season doubles at Mizzou with 18. Her 47 career doubles also rank seventh in Mizzou program history. She also ranks first in the SEC (second in the NCAA) with 18 doubles in 2024.
• Maddie Gallagher has posted a hit in each of the last five games. She finished 1-for-3 with an RBI.
• Stefania Abruscato has now hit safely in three-straight games. She went 1-for-3 with a walk.
• Mya Dodge notched her fourth home run of the year, going 1-for-2 with two runs, an RBI, and a walk.
• Mya Dodge recorded her 100th career run. She scored 91 runs over two seasons at Northern Iowa before transferring to Mizzou.
• Julia Crenshaw finished 1-for-4 with a run.
• Taylor Pannell tallied her eighth save of the year, which ranks first in both the SEC and the NCAA.
• Sophomore Cierra Harrison recorded her 12th (2-2 SEC) win of the year. The Lee’s Summit, Missouri, native went 4.1 innings, allowing just two runs on five hits and notching four strikeouts.
• Cierra Harrison has now recorded three or more strikeouts in five consecutive appearances.
• With the win, Cierra Harrison secured her 20th win (20-4) in her career at Mizzou.
• A program-best 3,607 fans were in attendance Saturday at the Mizzou Softball Stadium. The previous record of 3,370 was set in game two of the series with No. 2/3 LSU on March 23 earlier this season.
• Saturday marked Mizzou’s first series win over Florida since 2014 (April 25-27).
• Over 70 Mizzou Softball Alumni returned to Columbia for Saturday’s Alumni Day.
• Mizzou advances their all-time series record against Florida, 8-17.
• Head coach Larissa Anderson is now 4-6 against the Gators in her career.

LOOKING AHEAD 

• The Tigers wrap up the series against Florida Sunday at 2 p.m., CT. at Mizzou Softball Stadium. The game will be broadcasted on SEC Network+.

FOLLOW THE TIGERS

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