GAINESVILLE, Fla. – No. 24 Mizzou Softball (11-10) and No. 1 Florida squared off in a pure pitching duel Sunday evening with the Gators ultimately claiming a slim 1-0 victory.
Senior RHP Cheyenne Baxter (Norborne, Mo.) delivered one of the finest starts in her Tiger career, as she baffled the Gators throughout the game. After allowing one run in the opening inning, Baxter responded with five consecutive scoreless frames to keep Mizzou within striking distance.
Sunday evening's success for Baxter shouldn't be of any surprise, as she has continued to break through in her final season in Tiger black and gold. She has allowed one earned run or less in five of her past six outings (three starts), leading to a team-low 2.71 ERA through Mizzou's 21 games thus far.
Offensively, Mizzou's lineup struggled to crack Florida's top-flight pitching staff for the second consecutive night. The Tigers only managed three hits, as freshman Braxton Burnside (Paragould, Ark.), senior Natalie Fleming (Silex, Mo.) and redshirt junior Anna Reed (Lonedell, Mo.) each tallied singles.
With its three hits and one drawn walk, Mizzou couldn't push its base runners into scoring position against the Gators. Florida's RHP Kelly Barnhill finished with 12 strikeouts over her complete game shutout, while allowing only the aforementioned three hits.
Hear From the Tigers
Baxter on her performance tonight in the circle…
"I felt comfortable all night long and I was really able to get into a groove after that first inning. Coach (Adam) LaLonde and Kirsten (Mack) did a great job with our pitching game plan tonight and we did a good job executing."
Up Next
The Tigers conclude their SEC season-opening series at No. 1 Florida on Monday, March 13. Mizzou and Florida's series finale will be showcased on SEC Network with first pitch set for 6 p.m. (CT).
Following their SEC opener, the Tigers return home for a quick Wednesday (March 15) doubleheader against Iowa. Game one is scheduled for 3 p.m. (CT) inside Mizzou Stadium.
Visit MUTigers.com for the latest information on all things Mizzou Softball. You can also find the Tigers on social media by liking us on Facebook (University of Missouri Softball Team) and following us on Twitter and Instagram (@MizzouSoftball).
