Late #2 Michigan Rally Ends #15 @MizzouSoftball Season

Sunday, May 29

Ann Arbor, Mich.

11:00 AM

University of Missouri

42-16

#2 Michigan

51-5

Michigan

Missouri

Late #2 Michigan Rally Ends #15 @MizzouSoftball Season

5/29/2016 2:58:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

Tigers built a three-run lead after six innings but faltered in the final frame

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – No. 15 Mizzou Softball's (42-16) 2016 campaign concluded on Sunday afternoon, as it dropped a heartbreaking 5-4 game against No. 2 Michigan. The Wolverines tallied four runs in the seventh inning to erase a late three-run Tigers advantage.

The Wolverines struck first for the second consecutive day, as they tallied a second inning solo home run. Mizzou put together its best scoring opportunity in the early going with a rally in the fourth inning.

Redshirt senior Sami Fagan (Dunnellon, Fla.) roped a single to right field, marking her team-leading 23rd multi-hit game of the year. Two batters later, junior Chloe Rathburn (Mission Viejo, Calif.) laced a single to left to give the Tigers two runners on base. The Tigers then roped a hard hit ball down the third base line, but the Wolverines defense answered with yet another nice play to end the inning.

Mizzou continued to pound away on Michigan's hurler and finally broke through in the fifth inning. Freshman Kolby Romaine (Chino Hills, Calif.) kicked off the rally with a two-out single. The hit marked Romaine's third multi-hit effort of the season. Up next, redshirt senior Taylor Gadbois (Maryville, Mo.) moved away from her usual slap technique and rifled a game-tying RBI double to left-center.

The Tigers gained their first lead of the Super Regionals following a clutch two-out three-run home run to centerfield by freshman Rylee Pierce (Visalia, Calif.). Mizzou pushed across all four of its runs in the fifth and sixth inning and were three outs away from forcing a decisive Super Regionals game three.

Michigan led off its final at bat in the seventh inning with a sunshine-aided single off a Tigers' defender. Following a fly out to right field, the Wolverines began their improbable comeback. A sacrifice fly made it a two-run ballgame with two outs. Michigan kept its feet on the peddle with consecutive run-producing hits.

A wild pitch by the Tigers allowed the fourth and final run of the inning to come across, as Michigan suddenly claimed a one-run lead. Mizzou threatened to even the score at five apiece in the bottom half of the seventh, but couldn't bring home a runner from third with one out.

2016 Mizzou Softball Season Highlights

Mizzou finished with 42 wins this season, marking the ninth 40-plus win campaign under head coach Ehren Earleywine.
Earleywine guided the Tigers to their 10th consecutive NCAA Regional (2007-16) this year.
Mizzou's 2016 NCAA Regional title in Columbia, Mo., (May 26-28) marked its eighth trip to the NCAA Super Regionals since 2008.
The Tigers finished with a .327 team batting average, marking the highest single-season team batting mark in program history.
Mizzou recorded 390 runs scored this year, second-most in a single season in program history.
The Tigers' 514 hits as a team marked the third-most hits in a single season in Tiger history.
Mizzou utilized the long ball all season long, as it finished with 73 total home runs. That total marks the third-most team home runs in a single season in program history.
The Tigers knocked in 340 batters this season. The 340 total RBI marked the third-most in a single season in Mizzou Softball history.
Mizzou set a new standard on the basepaths this year, as its 165 total stolen bases marked a new single season record.
The Tigers' top winning streak this season was nine games, accomplished twice (March 13-26 and April 19 – May 6).
Redshirt senior Sami Fagan's final .434 batting average is the second-highest individual single season average in program history.
Senior Emily Crane's final .404 batting average is T-9th for the highest individual single season average in program history.
Redshirt senior Taylor Gadbois' 74 hits this season ranked 7th-most in a single season in Tiger history.
Fagan's 72 hits this season ranked T-8th-most in a single season in program history.
Crane's 15 doubles ranked T-7th-most in a single season in Mizzou Softball history.
Crane's 17 home runs ranked T-2nd-most in a single season in Tiger history.
Crane's 61 RBI ranked 5th-most in a single season in program history.
Junior Chloe Rathburn's 60 RBI ranked T-6th-most in a single season in Mizzou Softball history.
Crane's .801 slugging percentage ranked 3rd-highest in a single season in Tiger history.
Fagan's 46 walks this year ranked T-1st-most in a single season in program history.
Crane's 64 runs scored ranked T-1st-most in a single season in Mizzou Softball history.
Fagan's 59 runs scored ranked 5th-most in a single season in Tiger history.
Gadbois' 56 stolen bases this year ranked 2nd-most in a single season in program history.
Freshman Rylee Pierce's 406 putouts ranked T-8th-most in a single season in Mizzou Softball history.
Sophomore Paige Lowary's 25 wins in the circle this year ranked T-8th-most in a single season in Tiger history.
Gadbois' 16-game hitting streak from the end of 2015 through the beginning of 2016 ranked the 3rd-longest hitting streak in program history.
Gadbois' 11-game hitting streak and sophomore Amanda Sanchez's 10-game hitting streak during the 2016 campaign marked the 31st and 32nd time in program history that an individual tallied a double-digit hitting streak.
Crane (First Team), Fagan (Second Team), Rathburn (Second Team) and Gadbois (Third Team) all garnered 2016 NFCA Southeast All-Region Team accolades. Mizzou now has 14 all-time NFCA Southeast All-Region honorees.
Crane (First Team / All-Defensive), Fagan (Second Team), Gadbois (Second Team) and freshman Regan Nash (Freshman All-SEC) all tallied 2016 All-SEC accolades for their outstanding seasons.