Columbia, Mo. - The Mizzou Tigers softball team returned home for their home opener in a midweek doubleheader with in-state foe Southeast Missouri on Wednesday afternoon.
On a beautiful sunny day the pitchers shined brightest with Tiger Freshman Paige Lowary (Dallas Center, Ia.) making her first home start and Redhawk Madeline Krumrey fooling the Tigers for most of the day. Senior 1B Kelsea Roth (Yorba Linda, Cali.) saved the Tigers with a two-out single in the seventh driving in the only two runs Mizzou scored all day; giving the Tigers the 2-1 victory in walk-off fashion.
Lowary gave up the lead early on an RBI single from Redhawk Lindsey Patterson in the first inning. After allowing a few runners on base in the second and third she struck out the side in the fourth and went three up, three down in the fifth inning.
Mizzou had opportunities early at the plate but stranded eight runners through the first five innings. A pair of walks and a Senior 3B Angela Randazzo (Poway, Cali.) single loaded the bases for the Tigers in the sixth inning with a chance to tie and take the lead.
With two outs sophomore OF Emily Crane (Troy, Mo.) hit a ball hard to the outfield but the SEMO outfielder tracked it down to end the Mizzou rally and preserve the lead for the Redhawks.
Roth tied her career-high for walks in a game (three); which moved her into a tie for seventh all-time in program history with 82. Former Tiger Kim Slover also walked 82 times in her career from 1995-99.
Lowary finished the day strong with a stretch of 14 consecutive batters retired, seven of which struck out. Her nine strikeouts on the day are a new career-high while earning her second complete game of her career.
Heading to the bottom of the seventh inning down 1-0 Tiger redshirt junior 2B Sami Fagan (Dunnellon, Fl.) drew her third walk of the game, setting a new career high and putting the tying run on base. Freshman OF Morgan Walters (Buford, Ga.) moved Fagan over to third with an infield single before Roth came to the plate and ripped a walk-off two-out single to left field that scored both Fagan and Walters.
With the 2-1 victory the Tigers move to 14-3 on the season and take game one of the doubleheader.