Hill’s big night helps lift Mizzou softball to final midweek win
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
The Mizzou softball team ended its midweek slate in the win column, after a 7-0 victory over the Kansas City Roos on Tuesday night.
With the victory, head coach Larissa Anderson and company moved to 27-26 on the season and finished the year 8-1 in midweek play.
The win was highlighted by a pair of solo home runs from junior Abby Hay and redshirt freshman Saniya Hill in the fourth inning, as well as a combined shutout effort from freshman Abby Carr and junior Marissa McCann in the circle.
The game remained scoreless until the fourth inning when Hay and Hill ignited the MU offense. Hay, a Rock Bridge alum, was the first one to get the bats going, lifting up a solo shot into left field to make it a 1-0 ball game. A couple of batters later, it was Hill's turn, as the Texas native launched her first-collegiate home run to make it a two-run advantage for Mizzou.
"It was really big. I mean, I knew it was out, but like the whole time I was just thinking of my dad because it's something that he talks to me about all the time and he's just like my really my biggest motivator. So, like, obviously, I wanted it to be fair and then when it did, I just immediately thought of my dad and I knew, like, he's probably so proud of me right now and I just can't wait to go see what he says," Hill said after the game.
You can watch the full postgame press conference with Hill, as well as Hay, in the video player below.
Southern Boone alum Grace Britton capped off that fourth inning with a pinch-hit two-RBI double to right center field to give the Tigers a four-run advantage over the Kansas City Roos.
However, Hill's night wasn't done. The utility player kicked off a three-run fifth inning with a two-RBI single to center field. She led the charge at the dish, on Tuesday night, going 2-for-3 with a team-best three RBI and a home run.
"It's really been all year," Coach Anderson said. "It's just been waiting for the opportunity to be able to get [Hill] in the game. She's a redshirt freshman, she had a whole year off last year, recovering from her injury and she's just been patient. It's been really impressive to see that she's worked extremely hard. We worked her at third base, we worked her at second base...and it was just what is the right time to put her in in those game situations? She's been practicing in left field and I wanted to make sure that when we put her in that she's going to be successful and not throwing a kid out there with a game on the line...I mean, she has just worked so hard and has been patient in waiting for her opportunity and she has taken advantage of it."
You can watch the full postgame press conference with Anderson in the video player below.
McCann, who started in the win, and Carr were thoroughly dominant in against Kansas City. McCann held a two-hit shutout through 4.0 innings, fanning seven Roo batters. Carr finished out the final 3.0 innings with a pair of strikeouts and just one hit allowed.
Up next - Mizzou will finish out the regular-season at home against No. 9 Tennessee. First pitch in the series opener is set for 6 p.m. on Thursday night.
