Softball Downs #5/7 Clemson to Capture 2024 NFCA Division I Leadoff Classic Championship

CLEARWATER, Fla. – The University of Missouri Softball team (5-0) capped its stay at the 2024 NFCA Division I Leadoff Classic with a 4-1 victory over No. 5/7 Clemson (4-1) Sunday morning at the Eddie C. Moore Complex. 

With the victory, Missouri secured the Classic title with a perfect 5-0 mark. The Tigers last started the season 5-0 in 2020, when they commenced the campaign 9-0 after last winning the Classic title. 

Missouri also captured its first win over a top-5 team since overcoming #5/7 Alabama, 3-0, in the Second Round of the 2022 SEC Tournament on May 12, 2022.

Laurin Krings tallied a complete-game win, allowing just six hits Sunday for All-Tournament honors. She also notched six strikeouts in the victory. 

Krings finished the weekend with three complete-game wins (3-0) to go with 20 strikeouts over 19.0 innings with a 1.89 ERA. 

The Tigers got on the board early Sunday, posting three runs in the bottom of the first. Jenna Laird led off with a triple before coming home on an RBI single from Alex Honnold.

Honnold then advanced to third before coming around to score on a single from Julia Crenshaw.

Katie Chester added an RBI single to push the Tigers edge to 3-0. 

After allowing a leadoff walk, Krings settled in, retiring the next three Clemson batters including a third-out strikeout. 

Honnold then increased the Mizzou lead to 4-0 with an RBI groundout in the second. 

Krings then pitched around a jam in the third, striking out back-to-back Clemson Tigers with runners on the corners to conclude the frame. 

Clemson finally broke through in the top of the fifth, scoring on a Mizzou error. 

Krings then closed out the top of the sixth with a 6-4-3 double play before pitching around a leadoff base hit to close out the contest in the seventh. 

NOTES

• Jenna Laird and Alex Honnold paced the Tigers at the plate, both going 2-for-3 with a run. Honnold also tallied two RBI.
• Kara Daly knocked her first double of the season after notching a career best 13 in 2023.
• Jenna Laird posted her first triple of the season.
• Mizzou registered its first double play of the 2024 season Sunday.
• Laurin Krings tallied a complete-game win, allowing just six hits Sunday for 2024 NFCA Division I Leadoff Classic Championship All-Tournament honors. She also notched six strikeouts Sunday.
• Laurin Krings finished the weekend with three complete-game wins (3-0) with 20 strikeouts over 19.0 innings with a 1.89 ERA.
• With the win, Mizzou improved to 5-0 in 2024 and captured the 2024 NFCA Division I Leadoff Classic Championship. The Tigers last started the season 5-0 in 2020 when they commenced the campaign 9-0 after last winning the Classic title.
• Missouri captured its first win over a top-5 team since overcoming #5/7 Alabama, 3-0, in the Second Round of the 2022 SEC Tournament on May 12, 2022.
• Missouri picked up two top-25 wins over the 2024 NFCA Division I Leadoff Classic Championship. The Tigers also posted two run-rule wins over the Classic. 
• Sunday marked the first meeting in program history between Clemson and Missouri. 

2024 NFCA Division I Leadoff Classic All-Tournament Team

Ashton White, Army West Point

Bailie Runner, Central Arkansas

Julia Knowler, Clemson

Bri Copeland, Indiana

Soo-Jin Berry, Iowa

Katie Brooks, Kansas

Rachel Roupe, Liberty

Laurin Krings, Missouri

Olivia Krehbiel, Missouri State

Madison Inscoe, NC State

Kendall Smith, NCCU

Carlli Kloss, Notre Dame

Ariel Carson, Oregon

Olivia Lackie, South Alabama

Hannah Mearns, St. John’s

Sarah Ladd, Utah

Katie Gardner, Western Kentucky

UP NEXT

The Tigers next travel to Denton, Texas, for the 2024 Tracy Beard College Classic at North Texas Feb. 16-18. Mizzou will face Texas A&M-Commerce, South Dakota State and North Texas over the two-day tournament. 

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