COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Softball (19-14, 2-5 SEC) dropped the middle game of this weekend's series against No. 9 Alabama on Saturday evening inside Mizzou Stadium. The Tigers were victim of the Crimson Tide's power surge at the plate, as they recorded four home runs on the night.
Mizzou ultimately fell 9-3 Saturday, despite out-hitting Alabama, 8-7. All but one of the Crimson Tide's nine total runs scored were the result of the long ball.
The Tigers were put in a big hole off the bat, as Alabama posted four runs on three hits in the first inning. Mizzou answered with one run of its own in the bottom half, as sophomore Regan Nash (Camden Point, Mo.) and freshman Braxton Burnside (Paragould, Ark.) pulled off a successful double steal with runners on first and third.
Alabama tacked on two additional runs in the third inning, following its second home run of the game. In the bottom half of the fourth, freshman Cayla Kessinger (Saugus, Calif.) clawed away at the Crimson Tide's lead with a two-run home run. It marked Kessinger's fifth total blast of the year and her second consecutive game with a home run.
Down 6-3 in the sixth inning, Mizzou possessed its best chance to even the score or possibly take the lead. Senior Kirsten Mack (Riverside, Calif.) opened the frame with her team-leading 11th double of the season, followed by two more Tigers base runners. Mizzou held the bases loaded with one out, but later hit into an inning-ending double play to end its threat.
The Tigers saw production down the lineup despite their loss, as eight individuals recorded a hit. Nash's leadoff single in the first inning extended her career high hitting streak to nine games, while sophomore Rylee Pierce's (Visalia, Calif.) single in the fourth matched her season high hitting streak of seven games.
Hear From the Tigers
Nash on tonight's game…
"We did some good things at the plate against (Sydney) Littlejohn, but we let a couple of good scoring chances slip away in those last couple innings. We need to relax and execute better tomorrow and hopefully come away with a series win."
Up Next
Mizzou and Alabama's series finale is scheduled for 12 p.m. (CT) on Sunday, April 2. With this weekend's SEC series locked at one game apiece, the Tigers will be seeking their first conference series win of the season. The game will broadcast live on SEC Network + via WatchESPN.
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