Mizzou suffers sweep against top-ranked Texas
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
Mizzou Softball fell just short of two opportunities to topple the top-ranked team in the nation.
The Tigers (20-21) dropped both games of their doubleheader against No. 1 Texas (37-3) by three combined runs, losing 4-3 in game one before falling 3-1 in extra innings to clinch a series sweep for the Longhorns. MU's overall record has dipped below the .500-mark, and the team holds just two conference wins at the halfway point of SEC action.
You can watch the full postgame press conference with head coach Larissa Anderson in the video player below.
MU had its opportunities in both games to steal the lead from Texas, but the Tigers struggled at the plate with runners on base. Mizzou's batting lineup finished a combined 3-for-23 in those situations over both contests, including 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position. The Tigers also struck out 24 times in its 56 combined at-bats during the doubleheader.
All four of MU's runs were scored via home runs. Kara Daly nearly ignited a comeback in game one, driving a two-out, three-run home run over the center-field wall to cut her team's deficit to 4-3 in the final inning. The Jefferson City graduate's home run was her ninth of the season. Madison Walker also tallied a home run in Sunday's twin bill, hitting a game-tying solo shot in the fourth inning. The Kansas native boasts a team-leading 14 home runs this season, which ranks top-20 in the nation.
Julia Crenshaw tallied five of the team's 12 hits on Sunday, including a 3-for-4 performance in game two. Stefania Abruscato was the only other player to record a multi-hit game in this series, going 2-for-4 in the first contest of the afternoon.
Despite a few mistakes, Marissa McCann and Cierra Harrison each had excellent outings. McCann allowed just one earned run on six hits with three strikeouts over 5.2 innings of work. Harrison bounced back from giving up a four-run opening frame to go the distance in the circle, retiring 16 of the final 20 batters she faced.
Taylor Pannell also had a solid performance out of the bullpen in game two. The Lee's Summit native guided the Tigers out of a first-and-third jam in the sixth inning and pitched a clean seventh inning with two strikeouts to give her team an opportunity to score walk-it-off in the home half of the frame.
Up next - Mizzou will host Southern Illinois before traveling to Mississippi State to resume SEC play. First pitch for Wednesday's game against the Salukis is scheduled for Wednesday, April 9 at 6 p.m.
