Mizzou softball drops regional opener to Wisconsin

EUGENE, Or. – Three days before Mizzou faced Wisconsin in regionals, Mizzou Head Coach Ehren Earleywine said his team likely would not be where without its ace Cheyenne Baxter. He also added the Tigers would not be playing much longer unless they gave her support on the mound.

He was right.

Mizzou fell to Wisconsin 7-2 after totaling just three hits all game. Meanwhile, Baxter pitched 4.2 innings giving up four earned runs on five hits before Parker Conrad came in for relief.

Despite the lack of offense, Mizzou jumped out to an early lead. In the first inning, Kirsten Mack grounded out to the shortstop, but Regan Nash scored on the play to give the Tigers a 1-0 lead.

However, things started to unravel behind Baxter in the third inning. With two outs, Wisconsin’s Kelsey Jenkins hit a ground ball to third. Rylee Pierce fielded the ball and threw to first, but Chloe Rathburn was unable to make the play. The error proved costly as the very next batter, Chloe Miller, sent a deep home run to center field making it 2-1 Badgers.

In the bottom of the third, Kolby Romaine hit a sacrifice fly to tie the game at two. But, the Badgers were too much adding three runs in the 5th inning and two more in the 7th inning.

The Tigers will play the loser of Oregon and Illinois-Chicago Saturday, May 20 at 6:30 p.m. CT.