Mizzou softball completes come back to topple No. 19 Duke, leaving Florida with 4-7 mark
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
The Mizzou softball team scored five unanswered runs from the fourth inning on, as head coach Larissa Anderson and company captured their third ranked win of the season, besting No. 19 Duke 5-4.
With that come-from-behind victory, the Tigers will return from Florida with a 4-7 mark, including a two-game winning streak.
The Blue Devils got out to a flaming hot start in the final day of the Shriners Children's Clearwater Invitational, jumping out to a four-run lead by the time the second inning came to a close. Those runs came as junior Marissa McCann was in the circle. As a result, she got taken out after one and one-third innings, allowing four earned runs on four hits.
However, junior Nathalie Touchet proved just the kind of medicine that the doctor ordered. She tossed for the Tigers through the fifth inning, allowing three hits and zero earned runs, while fanning two batters.
While Touchet kept the Duke bats at bay, the Mizzou lineup got to work.
In the top half of the fourth inning, Rock Bridge alum Abby Hay ignited the first spark in MU's rally with an RBI double into right field. Hay would later come home on a sacrifice fly from junior Stefania Abruscato, as well, to get Mizzou within striking distance.
By the time the top of the fifth inning came, Coach Anderson's squad had made it a one-run game, thanks to some heads up running from junior Claire Cahalan, who was walked with two outs, but still came home after three wild pitches from the Blue Devils.
Tolton alum Madison Uptegrove would hit the eventual game-winning knock into left center, as her double brought home two runners to go up 5-4.
In the circle, freshman phenom Abby Carr finished out the game for Mizzou. Her day ended with one strikeout and just two hits allowed through 2.1 innings.
Up next - Mizzou will head to Louisiana for the McNeese Tournament. The Tigers first matchup will come on Friday, Feb. 20 at 1 p.m. against Houston.
