ORLANDO, Fla. – Mizzou Softball stayed hot on day two of the Citrus Blossom Classic, beating UMass in game one 5-0 courtesy of a complete game shutout from junior P Nalani Scates, followed by a 9-1 win over Iowa, a game in which senior P Madi Norman struck out a career-high 10 batters. Senior 1B Kolby Romaine was excellent for the Tigers in both games, going a combined 4-7 with two home runs and five RBI. Her three home runs are tied for the most on the team.

TOP TIGERS – Game One

• Scates got just the third win of her career, and it was the first CG shutout of her career. She also registered a career-high six strikeouts.
• Sophomore 3B Kim Wert had another strong showing, going 2-3 at the plate against the Minutewomen.
• Sophomore SS Brooke Wilmes continues her run of consistency at the plate, as she went 1-3 with two RBI. It marked the seventh multi-RBI game of her career.

TURNING POINT

It appeared as if the Tigers were going to have to win a defensive game, as they only held a 2-0 lead going into the bottom of the sixth. Then, the offense woke up.

Wilmes fired a triple to deep center field, which would bring the speedy pair of Delaney McDannold and Callie Martin across to make it a four-run game. Junior OF Gabby Garrison would then single, bringing in Wilmes to put the game away.

TOP TIGERS – Game Two

• Senior OF Regan Nash had a bounce back game, going 3-4 at the plate with a run scored.
• Wert went yard again, bombing a solo shot in the top of the sixth to help the Tigers run-rule the Hawkeyes. Wert now has 3 homers this season, tied for the most on the team.
• Norman's 10 Ks matched her career-high. It was also her first double-digit strikeout game since 2017.

TURNING POINT

Just like in game one, the Tigers were able to take control late. In what was just a 1-0 contest entering the top of the fifth inning, it appeared as though Norman might have to win the game from the circle.

Then, Romaine stepped to the plate and opened the floodgates. Her three run home run upped the score and upped the Tigers' confidence. Freshman pinch hitter Emma Raabe would fight off a full count, hitting a single that would score one. On the very next batter, Iowa would make an error, and the Tigers had scored six unanswered runs in the blink of an eye. Wert and Garrison would officially put the game out of reach in the top of the sixth.

QUOTEABLES

"It's amazing how much better we are when we don't chase pitches," Coach Anderson said. "I thought you could see the difference clearly between games one and two. In game one, we played outside ourselves, and were chasing balls all over the place. In game two, we only swung at pitches we liked, and it showed."

UP NEXT

Mizzou will finish off its second weekend of play with a rematch against rival Kansas after beating the Jayhawks in a 3-2 thirller at the Kajikawa Classic last weekend. The game is set to start at 8 a.m. CT, and will be streamable on FloSoftball.  

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