MO State HS Sports

Softball Opens Norman Regional with 5-1 Victory Over California

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NORMAN, Okla. – The University of Missouri softball program (35-24) commenced its 16th-straight NCAA Tournament appearance with a 5-1 victory over California (33-20-1) Friday evening at Marita Hynes Field.

With the victory, the Tigers will now face top overall seed and two-time defending National Champion, Oklahoma, in the second day of the 2023 NCAA Norman Regional Saturday at 2 p.m., CT.

The loser of Saturday’s first game (Oklahoma and Missouri) will take on the winner of the day’s second game (California and Hofstra at 4:30 p.m.) in an elimination game Saturday evening (7:30 p.m.). The winner of Saturday’s final game will take on the winner of the day’s first game on Sunday (1 p.m.) with an if-necessary rematch scheduled for later on Sunday.

Jenna Laird paced the Tigers offense Friday, finishing with a career-best 4-for-4 day at the plate with two runs, two doubles (career-best matching), and a RBI as Laurin Krings notched a complete-game in the circle.

Krings, a junior from Loveland, Colorado, allowed just one run on four hits with three strikeouts for her 10th complete game (28 in her career) of the campaign. She has now gone the distance in each of her last two starts, dating back to a 3-1 victory over Mississippi State to open the 2023 SEC Tournament on May 9. 

Alex Honnold, a 2023 NFCA All-Region Selection, belted her team-leading 14th home run of the campaign, a two-run shot to left field, to provide the Tigers an early 2-0 lead in the top of the first. 

Laird led off with a single to center before touching home on Honnold’s dinger. 

The Golden Bears responded with a solo home run from Tatum Anzaldo in the bottom half of the inning for Krings’ lone blemish in the contest. 

Mizzou would get the run back in the third on a RBI single from Kara Daly to regrow the lead to 3-1. 

The Tigers would then add a pair of insurance runs in the seventh to secure the win, 5-1. 

Pinch hitter Katie Chester opened the stanza with a single before Payton Jackson reached on a fielder’s choice to put a pair of Tigers on. Laird then lined her second double of the day to plate pinch runner Kayley Lenger.

Honnold then scored Jackson from third on a fielder’s choice.

GAME NOTES

  • Jenna Laird led the Tigers with a career-best 4-for-4 day at the plate with two runs, two doubles (career-best matching), and a RBI. Friday marked Laird’s third career two-double outing.
  • Jenna Laird registered four hits in a game for the second time in her career. She previously went 4-for-5 at South Carolina on April 1, 2021. 
  • Friday also marked Jenna Laird’s team-leading 23rd multi-hit game of the campaign. 
  • Jenna Laird extended her reached base streak to 11 games (five-game hitting streak).
  • Alex Honnold, Kara Daly (season-best five-game hitting streak), Julia Crenshaw, and Katie Chester each added a hit Friday.
  • Alex Honnold blasted her team-leading 14th homer of the season. She also finished with a run and three RBI. 
  • For Alex Honnold, it marked her team-leading 11th multi-RBI game in 2023.
  • Alex Honnold pushed her reached-base streak to six games (four-game hitting streak). 
  • Laurin Krings allowed just one run on four hits with three strikeouts for her 10th complete game (28 in her career) of the campaign. She has now gone the distance in each of her last two starts, dating back to a 3-1 victory over Mississippi State to open the 2023 SEC Tournament on May 9.
  • Laurin Krings improved to 13-11 in 2023 after her 16th game of six or more innings this season.

NEXT UP

  • Mizzou will next face top overall seed and two-time defending National Champion, Oklahoma, in the second day of the 2023 NCAA Norman Regional Saturday at 2 p.m., CT.

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This article is provided by University of Missouri Athletics