Mizzou leads off SEC Tournament with win over Ole Miss

AUBURN, Ala. (KMIZ)

No. 12 Mizzou Softball is heading to the SEC Tournament quarterfinals. The fifth-seeded Tigers used a three-run third inning to take down the No. 13 seed Ole Miss Rebels 3-1 on Wednesday afternoon at Jane B. Moore Field.

With this first round win, Mizzou advances to play fourth-seeded Arkansas in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals. The Tigers and the Razorbacks met for a three-game weekend series back in early April, ending with Arkansas clinching a series win in the finale.

Mizzou dealt all its damage on offense in the third frame of Wednesday's action. Alex Honnold lined her 21st double of the season off the wall in right-center field to plate MU's first two runs of the game. Then, Rock Bridge alum Abby Hay gave the Tigers a 3-0 lead with an RBI single to end a three-run inning. Ole Miss made some noise in the final frame by blasting a solo home run, courtesy of Aynslie Furbush, and bringing the tying run to the plate, but Taylor Pannell forced a pop fly to end the game.

Laurin Krings posted a great performance in the circle, earning the win and allowing just one run on three hits over six innings of work. Pannell relieved Krings in the final frame and secured her NCAA-leading 13th save of the season.

MU tallied five hits in the contest, including a multi-hit performance from Jenna Laird. Three of those five hits were recorded in Mizzou's three-run third inning.

Up next - The Tigers are aiming to reach the SEC Tournament semifinals for the first time since the 2022 season. No. 12 Mizzou faces No. 13 Arkansas on Thursday, May 9 at Moore Field at approximately 1 p.m.