COLUMBIA, Mo. – No. 24 Mizzou Softball (21-15, 4-6 SEC) suffered a tough 6-5 loss to No. 25 Arkansas on Saturday afternoon, evening the weekend Southeastern Conference series at one game apiece. The Tigers looked primed for the win following two runs in the bottom half of the sixth inning, but couldn't hold the lead in the seventh and allowed three runs to the Razorbacks.
Arkansas opened the game's scoring in the second inning behind a pair of RBI singles. Mizzou answered with a run of its own in the bottom half, as senior Chloe Rathburn (Mission Viejo, Calif.) launched her first home run of the season.
The Tigers took their first lead Saturday after freshmen Braxton Burnside (Paragould, Ark.) and Cayla Kessinger (Saugus, Calif.) tallied RBI base hits in the third inning. The Razorbacks quickly evened the score at three apiece their next at bat, following a solo home run to left field.
After each team found success with their bullpen use, the game remained tied at three heading to the bottom half of the sixth. Senior Natalie Fleming (Silex, Mo.) looked to be the afternoon's hero for the Tigers, following a clutch two-out two RBI single up the middle.
Arkansas finally answered Mizzou's strong relief work in the circle in the seventh inning, producing three runs on three hits while also taking advantage of two issued walks. The Razorbacks' key hit in the final frame was courtesy of a two-run RBI single through the left side of the infield.
Despite the loss, the Tigers saw substantial improvement at the plate after being held to only two hits in game one of the series. In game two, seven individual Mizzou batters recorded a hit, highlighted by Rathburn's fourth multi-hit game of the season.
Hear From the Tigers
Rathburn on her productive day at the plate…
"Arkansas' starting pitcher has a good drop ball, so I wanted to be aggressive on pitches up in the zone. I was able to put a good swing on my home run. I know the team felt like we had better overall at bats today, so I know we're confident we can get a win tomorrow and take the series."
Up Next
The Tigers and Razorbacks will meet on Sunday, April 9, for their series finale at Mizzou Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for noon. Fans can tune-in live on SEC Network + via WatchESPN. This weekend's SEC series between Mizzou and Arkansas is presented by MU Health Care.
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).
