Mizzou softball captures its ninth midweek win of the season against SIUE

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The final midweek game of the season ended in a 'W' for the No. 13 Mizzou softball team on Wednesday night. The Tigers beat SIUE 4-1 to improve to 34-11 on the season.

MU got on the board early, courtesy of a Maddie Gallagher single to center field in the first inning, which plated shortstop Jenna Laird and made it 1-0 in favor of the home team.

The Cougars did respond in the following frame, though, scratching their only run of the game across home to tie it up. However, the Tigers bats did their job to regain that lead in the home half of the second inning and never looked back.

Outfielder Kayley Lenger hit her second home run of the season with a two-out, two-run shot to left field, which gave MU a two-run advantage. In the bottom of the sixth, catcher Stefania Abruscato, the reigning SEC Freshman of the Week, put the cherry on top of the win with an RBI single to put Mizzou up three runs over SIUE.

Skyline alum Lilly Whitten put together quite a stat line in the circle. She earned her fifth win of the season on Wednesday, as she threw for six innings and allowed just one earned run on two hits. She tallied six strikeouts on the night.

Closer Taylor Pannell now has nine saves in 2024, as she closed out the seventh inning for head coach Larissa Anderson.

Up next - No. 13 Mizzou will take a road trip to Athens, Georgia to face the No. 9 Bulldogs, April 19-21. First pitch on Friday is set for 5 p.m.