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CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. – The No. 24/21 University of Missouri Softball program (12-4) split its final day of competition Saturday at the 2023 Mary Nutter Cathedral City Collegiate Classic held at Big League Dreams Yankee Stadium. The Tigers opened the day with a 6-4 loss to No. 22/24 Oregon (11-3) before run ruling Long Beach State (5-9), 9-0, in six innings.
Missouri finished the 2023 Mary Nutter Cathedral City Collegiate Classic with a 3-2 mark and is now 12-4 in non-conference play.
No. 24/21 Missouri 4, No. 22/24 Oregon 6
Mizzou clawed within two runs in the seventh but couldn’t complete the comeback in its top-25 matchup with Oregon.
The Tigers took an early 2-0 lead in the third before the Ducks responded with six runs.
With two outs in the third, Jenna Laird beat out a bunt single before heading to second on a Ducks error.
Alex Honnold then registered a RBI double to score Laird. Honnold then touched the plate off a Julia Crenshaw base hit for a 2-0 Tigers edge.
Terra McGowan cut the lead in half with a home run in the bottom half of the third.
The Ducks hit three homers in the contest, adding consecutive shots in the sixth to even the score and then pull ahead, 3-2.
Oregon would then score five runs in the sixth frame. Kyla Morris plated a pair on a fielder’s choice coupled with a Tigers error.
Allee Bunker then added a RBI single to left to put the Ducks up 6-2.
Riley Frizell commenced the seventh with a solo blast to cut the margin in half (6-3).
Megan Moll then doubled to left before a Maddie Snider walk. Laird brought Moll home with a RBI single down the left field line.
Laird and Snider then each moved up 60 feet on a wild pitch. Alex Honnold then walked before Katie Chester’s two-out flyball just landed shy of the wall in right.
NOTES
- Jenna Laird, Alex Honnold, and Riley Frizell each had two hits. The trio each had a RBI along with Julia Crenshaw.
- For Riley Frizell, the two hits matched a career high. Her home run was her third of the season which matches a career-best (three in 2021). Frizell also knocked her second career (second in 2023) double during the game.
- Megan Moll posted her third double of the season.
- Jordan Weber was assessed the loss, allowing three runs on eight hits with a pair of strikeouts.
- Megan Schumacher came on in relief, allowing three runs on three hits with a walk and two strikeouts.
- Missouri is 2-2 against Top-25 ranked opponents in 2023.
No. 24/21 Missouri 9, Long Beach State 0
The Tigers wrapped their stay at the Mary Nutter Cathedral City Collegiate Classic with a 9-0 run-rule victory over Long Beach in six innings.
Missouri utilized a seven-run sixth to cement the run-rule win.
Laurin Krings earned the victory in the circle, compiling a complete game shutout. The junior from Loveland, Colorado, totaled a season-high nine strikeouts while letting up just three hits and a pair of walks.
The Tigers opened the scoring with a RBI bases loaded walk to Jenna Laird in the top of the second. Shannon Haddad allowed four walks during the frame.
Payton Jackson then led off the fourth with a triple before heading home on a Kelsee Mortimer pinch hit single.
Riley Frizell and Jackson tallied consecutive doubles in the sixth to increase the Missouri lead to 3-0. Jackson would then come around to score on a wild pitch.
Jenna Laird added a RBI groundout to make the lead 5-0 before Katie Chester scored a Tiger as she reached on an error.
Kara Daly completed the run-rule win with a huge three-run blast to left field to finalize the game at 9-0.
NOTES
- With the win, Laurin Krings improved to 5-1 in 2023 (32-13 in career at Missouri).
- Laurin Krings compiled a complete game shutout. The junior from Loveland, Colorado, totaled a season-high nine strikeouts while letting up just three hits and a pair of walks.
- Payton Jackson registered her first career double and triple in a Mizzou uniform after transferring from Texas Tech. She led the Tigers with a career best at Missouri, 2-for-2 day at the plate with two runs, a RBI, and a walk, starting in right.
- Kelsee Mortimer was 1-for-1 with a RBI. She improved her batting average to .429 in 2023. Mortimer has matched a career best three hits (also had three hits in 2022).
- Kara Daly registered her third home run of the campaign. She was 1-for-4 Saturday with three RBI.
- Jenna Laird chipped in two RBI.
- The run-rule win is the seventh of the season for the Tigers. Missouri’s three wins at the Mary Nutter Cathedral City Collegiate Classic came via run rule.
LOOKING AHEAD
Missouri will next trek to Oklahoma for the Oklahoma State/Tulsa Invitational in Stillwater and Tulsa, March 3-5. The Tigers will face Maine, Tulsa, and No. 4/4 Oklahoma State at the Classic.
