Mizzou softball looking to carry momentum from Clearwater Invitational into Cajun Clash
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
After starting the Clearwater Invitational a disappointing 0-3, Mizzou softball rallied to take down two top-25 opponents in the final matches of the weekend.
Head coach Larissa Anderson and the Tigers were able to bounce back from the rocky start and pull off a pair of upsets, looking to have found some momentum in the later stages of the invitational.
"When they're as competitive as they are, that's got to build their confidence that they can play with anybody in the country," said Coach Anderson. "But everybody is going to give you their best, there isn't anybody that's just going to give us a game."
After starting the weekend with a 13-7 defeat against NC State, the team was tasked with trying to take down No. 7 UCLA just hours later. Despite eventually falling to the Bruins, Mizzou did not trail until the final inning. With a third loss in a row coming to Northwestern the following morning, coach Anderson turned to her senior leadership to try to rally the troops.
"They were extremely upset and disappointed, and it was really helpful that we had a game off that they were able to regroup and talk amongst the team," said Anderson. "I challenged the upperclassmen, like someone has to lead us and it's going to take someone to say this is what we know we can do, we're capable of doing it."
In game four the team was able to secure its first win of the weekend against No. 23 Florida Atlantic, lead by a stellar outing in the circle from Marissa McCann, who threw a complete game shutout, and giving up just four hits.
"There was a point I went to the mound and I said, "I'm going to pull you out of the game", and she said "no, this is my game to win,"" said Anderson when recounting the Senior's performance. "And that's the mentality I want. I want players that want to be in the circle, that want to be in the batters box, that it's their game to win and that's how competitive they have to be."
In the weekend finale, the team fell behind 4-0 to No. 19 Duke in the first inning, but managed to respond with five unanswered runs to come from behind and secure a second win of the weekend.
With some confidence restored, the Tigers will travel to Louisiana for its next weekend of games in hopes of stacking a few more wins onto their record.
Up Next - Mizzou faces Houston in the first game of the Cajun AC Louisiana Clash. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 20.
