April 18, 2014

Box Score |  Notes

COLUMBIA, Mo.– Clutch pitching and a seventh-inning rally propelled No. 13 Mizzou Softball to a 5-3 win over Southeastern Conference foe Ole Miss in Game One of the doubleheader on Friday at University Field. Game Two featured a dominant pitching performance from freshman pitcher Tori Finucane (Germantown, Md.), a few spectacular defensive plays and the second home run of the day for freshman 3B/2B Natalie Fleming (Silex, Mo.). Fleming's first home run, a three-run shot, won Game One in walk-off fashion. The 2-0 second victory for the Tigers over the Rebels guaranteed the series win and improved the Tigers' record to 34-12 (11-6 in SEC play).

Freshman pitcher Casey Stangel (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) got the start in the circle for the Tigers in Game One and pitched 5.0 innings, giving up two runs, one earned, on four hits while striking out two. Stangel stranded eight runners on the base paths, including leaving the bases loaded on two occasions. Senior pitcher Alora Marble (Jefferson City, Mo.) entered the game in relief and pitched 2.0 innings, giving up one earned run to earn her sixth victory of the season and third in SEC play.

After falling behind 1-0 in the first inning, Mizzou's offense rallied in the bottom of the frame with junior 3B/C Angela Randazzo (Poway, Calif.) hitting a two-RBI double to bring home redshirt sophomore OF Taylor Gadbois (Maryville, Mo.) and senior OF Mackenzie Sykes (Blue Springs, Mo.) to give the Tigers an early 2-1 lead.

With the game tied at 2-2 after Mizzou miscues in the fourth inning, Ole Miss scored the go-ahead run in the top of the seventh inning on a double steal. The Ole Miss runner narrowly scored on a close play at the plate, just sliding in underneath the tag of redshirt sophomore C Sami Fagan (Dunnellon, Fla).

In the bottom of the inning, the Tigers responded with timely hitting. With two outs, Randazzo and Corrin Genovese (East Amherst, N.Y.) hit back-to-back singles to send Fleming to the plate with a runner in scoring position. Fleming rocked a ball over the right field wall to record her first career walk-off home run.

In Game Two, it was Mizzou jumping out to an early 1-0 lead after the first inning. Sykes drove in Gadbois on a sacrifice fly after Gadbois reached on an error and stole second base, her 40th swipe of the season.

Finucane was in the circle for the Tigers in the second game, her 21st start of the season. She controlled the game from start to finish with the Rebels never able to figure her out. The complete game shutout victory pushes her record to 15-5. She allowed zero runs on three hits and one walk, striking out five.

Defense was on certainly on display for Mizzou in the second victory. Sophomore OF Emily Crane (Troy, Mo.) made two slick snags in right field, including catching a ball off the top of her shoelaces and tracking a ball down in foul territory. Sykes outdid Crane in the top of the fourth inning when she robbed a three-run home run that was already over the fence to preserve the 1-0 Tiger lead.

Fleming was not satisfied with just one home run on the day, as she launched an Ole Miss pitch over the left field wall in the fifth inning to increase the Tigers' lead to 2-0. Those were the only runs needed as Finucane continued to shut down the Rebels (22-24, 3-14 SEC) the rest of the way to earn the series victory.

The final game of the series is set for Saturday at 2 p.m. at University Field. The Mizzou Softball program will also host a post-game Easter Egg Hunt for children 13-and-under.