Mizzou falls in NCAA Super Regional opener to Duke
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
The No. 7-seeded Mizzou softball team got itself into a one-game hole in NCAA Super Regional action, with a 6-3 loss to No. 10-seeded Duke on Friday afternoon. The Tigers will now have to win on Saturday, in order to stay alive.
You can watch the full postgame press conference with head coach Larissa Anderson, as well as seniors Jenna Laird and Maddie Gallagher, after the loss, in the video player below.
In order to advance to the program's first Women's College World Series since 2011, head coach Larissa Anderson and company will need to win on both Saturday and Sunday against the Blue Devils.
The Tigers grabbed an early lead in Friday's loss, courtesy of Maddie Gallagher's first RBI of the day. She knocked a single through the right side to plate Alex Honnold and make it a 1-0 ball game.
However, in the next half inning, Duke punched Mizzou right back. Francesca Frelick lifted up a two-run homer off of starter Laurin Krings to give the Blue Devils their first lead of the day, 2-1. Then, a couple of batters later, D'Auna Jennings gave her team a two-run lead with an RBI triple to center field.
It was back and forth into the home half of the second, when Jenna Laird doubled down the right field line and plated Kayley Lenger. Laird later stole home on a sacrifice grounder from Gallagher. Just like hat, the teams were each tied at three runs apiece.
Krings couldn't hold off the Blue Devils bats, though. In the fifth inning, two more Duke runs, which made it 5-3, resulted in Anderson pulling her senior ace from the ball game. She finished with a final stat line of 4.2 innings, two strikeouts and five runs allowed on seven hits.
Freshman Marissa McCann came in in relief. She ended the day with one strikeout and allowed two hits and one earned run over 2.1 innings in the circle.
Up next - Mizzou will play game two against Duke on Saturday, May 25 at 12 p.m. CT. If the Blue Devils win, they advance to the Women's College World Series. If Mizzou wins, the Tigers advance to Sunday.
