Columbia, Mo. - Mizzou Softball fell to Mississippi State, 8-4, in the second game of the series on Saturday (April 11), at University Field. After the setback, Mizzou moves to 25-10 on the season and slides to an even 7-7 mark in conference play. The Tigers were able to muster four runs in the later innings, but Mississippi State thwarted Mizzou's chances at a comeback.
Freshman pitcher Paige Lowary (Dallas Center, Iowa) took the hill for Mizzou, fresh off closing out the Friday matchup against the Bulldogs. Lowary pitched 3.0 frames without allowing an earned run, while also striking out a pair. She was relieved by sophomore Tori Finucane (Germantown, M.D.) and Cheyenne Baxter (Norborne, Mo.).
Although being held to just four runs, Mizzou managed a few notable performances during Saturday's matchup. Freshman infielder Paige Bange (Jefferson City, Mo.) recorded her first career walk. Additionally, right fielder Emily Crane (Troy, Mo.) collected her team-leading 40th hit of the season. She is the team's leading batter, boasting an impressive .360 mark for the year. Kelsea Roth also recorded two hits on the day, giving her four multi-hit performances on the year.
Trailing just 1-0 in the bottom of the fifth, Mizzou put together a rally in hopes of knotting the game at 1-1. With a runner on second base, freshman infielder Amanda Sanchez (West Covina, Calif.) sent a shot screaming up the middle of the infield. It kicked off Mississippi State's pitcher before being scooped up by their second baseman and sent to first for the out - narrowly beating Sanchez by a less than a half step.
Mississippi State tacked on six runs in the top of the sixth inning. Mizzou battled back in the bottom half of the frame, plating three late runs. The Tigers added one more in the bottom of the seventh inning, but failed to complete the comeback, leaving the potential game tying run on-deck.
Mizzou and MSU close the series on Sunday, April 12, with first pitch set for 2:30 p.m., live on the SEC Network. For all the latest on Mizzou Softball, stay tuned to MUTigers.com and follow the team on twitter @MizzouSoftball.