Mizzou splits Saturday doubleheader on final day of Clearwater Invitational
CLEARWATER, Fla. (KMIZ)
No. 16 Mizzou Softball has wrapped up its 11-game road trip to the Sunshine State.
The Tigers (6-5) ended the Shriners Children's Clearwater Invitational with just two wins in five games, defeating Liberty 5-3 before falling to San Diego State 5-2 to close out the tournament.
Madison Walker supplied a spark to start Saturday's doubleheader, blasting a solo home run in the first frame against the Flames to give the Tigers a 1-0 lead. Liberty did respond with three runs in the second inning to create a 3-1 deficit for MU, but Walker drove home the go-ahead run with her second home run of the contest to regain the lead for the Tigers in the third frame. The Olathe West graduate finished the game with three RBI's and now leads the team with four home runs through 11 matchups.
Kara Daly padded Mizzou's lead in the 5th inning with her second home run of the season, and Marissa McCann protected the team's 5-3 by going the distance in the circle. McCann allowed no earned runs and allowed just three hits while striking out three batters over her seven innings in the circle.
Julia Crenshaw also recorded an RBI double in the game, as part of MU's eight-hit performance against the Flames, who had not lost a game before losing to the Tigers on Saturday.
However, Mizzou was unable to complete the sweep of its doubleheader. Tolton Catholic graduate Madison Uptegrove recorded the first RBI of her collegiate career with a game-tying double in the second inning, but San Diego State answered with a three-run third frame to gain a 4-1 advantage. Mya Dodge added another run to the scoreboard for Mizzou with an RBI single, but MU could not overcome its three-run deficit.
The Tigers ended game two of its doubleheader with eight hits, led by two-hit performances from Uptegrove and Stefanie Abruscato. However, defense made a difference in the outcome. MU committed three errors in the contest that led to two unearned runs for the Aztecs.
Courtney Donahue was charged with the loss, pitching 2.1 innings and giving up three earned runs on five hits in her first start in a MU uniform. Cierra Harrison tossed 3.2 innings in relief, tallying four hits and three strikeouts while not allowing an earned run. Taylor Pannell also added a strikeout in her clean seventh inning.
Up next - Mizzou heads to the West Coast for five games at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic. The Tigers start the tournament with a doubleheader on Thursday, Feb. 20 against Rutgers and No. 4 UCLA, starting at 2:30 p.m.
