Uneven performance sums up home opener Mizzou Softball double header

After a month on the road in the southeastern USA, Mizzou Softball finally returned home to Columbia for the Mizzou Invitational looking to beef up their performance and (hopefully) rack up some wins before SEC play gets started next weekend. What fans witnessed, however, was similar to what they’ve seen thus far this season— a largely uneven performance, marked by a run-rule victory over Wichita State in game one — yay!!! — and a head-scratching letdown in game two— booooo. Dylan Heinrich, one third of this season’s softball trio, was on hand for the first game as I (Karen) was at work and only made it for the very end, and then he handed the reins over to me for game two. One of us got the better deal here, and it wasn’t the one left alone in the overflow press box, alone with her thoughts.

Anyway, here’s a breakdown of each of the two games Mizzou played in the team’s home opener:

Game One: Mizzou 12, Wichita State 4

The Tigers survived a three-run deficit early, scoring 12 runs to take down the Shockers in a run-rule shortened victory. Mizzou hit two home runs in the bottom of the fourth, scoring six runs total in the inning.

The Tiger offense was rolling, amassing 12 hits and five walks, making the most out of each at-bat. Sidney Forrester, Abby Hay and Sophie Smith racked up three hits apiece with Smith leading the way with a home run, double, three RBI, and two runs scored. Forrester continued her strong start to her freshman season with a two-run home run.

Cierra Harrison got the start in the circle, serving as a steady option and allowing the Mizzou defense to make plays. She finished the game with 5.1 innings pitched, helping save the arms for the remainder of the weekend. While Harrison gave up all four runs, she only allowed five hits and worked five strikeouts to get the win.

Here’s how the game played out from start to finish:

Wichita State struck first with a two-run bomb in the top of the third inning off the bat of Ausha Moore. The Shockers started the inning with a double to the wall from Jodie Epperson, advancing the runner to third on a bunt before being called out at home on a fielder’s choice for the second out. That’s when Ausha Moore took full advantage of the runner on first, blasting a ball to deep center field to make it 2-0.

In the top of the fourth, the Shockers extended its lead to 3-0 when a Trinity Allen single brought in Gabby Scott, who had led off the inning with a walk before a passed ball and a sac bunt allowed her to reach third.

Mizzou responded, however, and in the bottom of the fourth, the Tigers scored six runs to take their first lead of the game. They loaded the bases thanks to a walk, error and Madison Uptegrove hitting into a failed fielder’s choice, which allowed the Tigers to plate its first run of the game. But the complexion of the game really changed after a three-run homer from Sophie Smith that just barely scraped over the left field wall that gave the home team its first lead of the game.Mizzou wasn’t satisfied with a one-run lead, though as an Addy Waits walk proceeded another home run, this time from Sidney Forrester.

Mizzou piled on the scoring with two more runs in the fifth, extending the lead to five. Abby Hay singled and Emma Jackson was hit by a pitch to put two runners on base. Stefania Abruscato brought both runners home with a single to the wall, but was tagged out trying to take an extra bag.

Wichita State cut the lead to four with a solo home run in the top of the sixth from Johnna Schroeder. Harrison recorded one more out before Missouri head coach Larissa Anderson replaced her with Abby Carr. The freshman recorded the final two outs in succession to limit the damage.

The Tigers scored four more in the bottom of the inning for the run-rule victory. Mizzou loaded the bases with a leadoff double from Smith before back-to-back walks. Carr continued her day as the designated player with a sacrifice fly to score Smith. Hay racked up another RBI with a single down the left field line to stretch the lead to six. After another walk to load the bases, Haidyn Sokoloski blooped a single into right field to score the final two runs and secure the 12-4 dub.

Game Two: Mizzou 1, Miami-Ohio 5

Marissa McCann got the start in Game 2 for the Tigers, and despite not being at her sharpest, stayed in for the entirety of the game. While she struck out seven Miami OH batters in the 107-pitch outing, she had trouble keeping the RedHawks off the basepaths with just ONE 1-2-3 inning, while allowing eight hits, four walks and five runs (all earned). Of the eight hits, three were of the extra base hit variety, including a double, triple, and home run.

Let’s go over how it all went down.

McCann allowed a single baserunner in the first two innings before it finally came back to bite her in the third inning. After a one-out double put a runner on for Evey Dieudon, she blasted a home run to deep left center to give the RedHawks an early 2-0 lead that they would never relinquish.

The Tigers had a couple of chances to get a rally going early on, but when it came down to it, they just couldn’t get a run across the plate. In the bottom of the second, Abby Hay worked a one out single and Stefania Abruscato followed with a single of her own, but they were stranded after Emma Jackson hit into a fielder’s choice and Madison Uptegrove grounded out. In the bottom of the third, they got perhaps their best shot to put up a crooked number when Addy Waits reached on an error by the first baseman and was followed by a Sophie Smith single and a Sidney Forrester walk to load the bases. Unfortunately, the Tigers responded with a strikeout and a groundout by the Abbys (Carr & Hay).

Playing like they had nothing to lose, in the top of the fifth, the RedHawks added to their tally, as two walks were followed by a bases-clearing triple to make it 4-0, and then for good measure, tacked on another one with an RBI single to make it 5-0.

Missouri did finally get one back in the home-half of the fifth, as back-to-back singles by freshmen Linny Ramsey and Addy Wait put two on for Sophie Smith, who hit into a fielder’s choice. Forrester followed with an RBI single to left to make it 5-1 and it seemed like the Tigers were on a roll. That is, before Carr hit into a double play at first base to end the threat, stranding yet two more runners.

McCann worked around two singles in the top of the sixth, but managed to get out of the inning unscathed, giving the Tigers another chance to get the offense firing in the bottom of the inning.

Try as they might, however, and they DID try, it didn’t happen. Singles by Hay and Uptegrove put runners at the corners with two outs for Ramsey, who had had a good game, earlier notching her first collegiate hit, but she grounded out, putting the Tigers’ left on base tally at eight.

Both teams went down 1-2-3 in the seventh — McCann’s only 1-2-3 inning all game — to secure a Miami-Ohio victory.

I believe the following gif wraps up my thoughts on this final game AND the season thus far, as our dear Missouri Tigers sit at 6-12.

Up Next: The Tigers will take on Drake at 3pm and Miami-Ohio again at 5:30. Stay tuned to Rock M Nation for all the updates.