Mizzou picks up win, suffers loss in Mary Nutter Classic doubleheader
CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. (KMIZ)
No. 22 Mizzou Softball split its first day of action at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic.
The Tigers (7-6) earned a 1-0 shutout win over Rutgers (5-7) to start Thursday's doubleheader but dropped its game two matchup 4-1 to No. 4 UCLA (10-1) to end the evening.
Taylor Pannell made her first collegiate start in the circle against the Scarlet Knights and recorded a complete game shutout. The Lee's Summit native allowed no runs on four hits and struck out seven batters over seven innings.
Saniya Hill delivered the game-deciding hit in the fifth inning, sending an RBI double into shallow left field to score the game's only run. Hill's pinch-hit appearance resulted in the true freshman's first career RBI. Fr. Tolton Catholic graduate Madison Uptegrove, Julia Crenshaw and Taylor Ebbs also recorded one hit each.
However, unlike game one, MU was forced to play from behind against the Bruins. UCLA took a 2-0 lead off two straight, two-out RBI singles from Maggie Daniel and Rylee Slimp in the second inning. Mizzou cut that deficit down to one run with a sacrifice fly from Madison Walker in the sixth inning, but the Bruins blasted back-to-back home runs, courtesy of Seneca Curo and Aleena Garcia, to lead 4-1 after six frames.
Claire Cahalan posted a multi-hit performance at the plate against UCLA, finishing with two of the team's four hits. Crenshaw and Hill also tallied one hit each in the contest.
Marissa McCann was charged with the loss, tossing 5.1 innings and giving up four runs on nine hits while recording three strikeouts.
Up next - Mizzou has another doubleheader on day two of the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic. The Tigers face Baylor and Minnesota on Friday, Feb. 21, starting at 12 p.m. at the Big League Dreams Complex in California.
