COLUMBIA, Mo. - Mizzou Softball (17-13, 6-5) split the day one doubleheader against the Tennessee Lady Volunteers (27-6, 5-3). The Tigers edged Tennessee in game one, 5-4, before being stifled offensively in a 2-1 game two defeat. With the victory in game one, Mizzou earned its sixth-straight SEC victory, the longest conference winning streak since the Tigers swept No. 16 Texas A&M and Mississippi State back in 2016. Head Coach Larissa Anderson grabbed her first-career win against a top-5 team, while Mizzou topped Tennessee for the first time since April 3, 2016, when the Tigers beat the Lady Vols 7-3 in Columbia.
Senior P Madi Norman tallied her team-leading ninth win with her victory over the Lady Vols, going 5.2 innings and tallying five strikeouts. The win for Norman marked her first-career victory over a top-5 opponent. Sophomore P Cassie Gasper suffered the defeat in game two, but played well, only allowing two runs over her six innings pitched. Â
TOP TIGERS
- Sophomore RF Brooke Wilmes collected a pair of hits, extending her hitting streak to four games. She has now collected multiple hits in seven games this season, tied for most on the team.
- Sophomore 3B Kimberly Wert launched her team-best eleventh home run of the season, giving her the highest single-season total of any current Tiger.
- Junior P Eli Daniel collected the second save of her career in game one, as she was once again brilliant in relief of Norman. Daniel collected her only other save last weekend in game three against Kentucky. Daniel is the only Tiger with multiple saves this season.
TURNING POINT
Mizzou looked to be in control headed into the bottom of the fifth, as the Tigers held a 4-1 lead. The solo shot from Wert looked like icing on the cake, but it proved to be the winning run for the Black & Gold.
Tennessee would get three runs in the top of the sixth inning, closing the gap to just one run. Mizzou would not score in the bottom of the sixth, but Daniel would earn the save by retiring three of the four batters she faced in the top of the seventh.
TOP TIGERS
- Sophomore C Hatti Moore broke up a no hitter in the fourth inning, bombing her fourth-career homer to left-center. It would be the Tigers' only run and hit of the game.
- Gasper pitched five scoreless innings for the Tigers. This is the second time this season Gasper has shut out a ranked team through five or more innings. She pitched five scoreless innings at No. 12 Arizona State (2/8/19).
TURNING POINT
Mizzou was once again in the driver's seat coming down the stretch, as Moore's homer in the fourth gave the Tigers a 1-0 lead. Gasper had been dealing, holding the Vols scoreless through five. However, Tennessee would break through when it mattered most.
The Lady Vols would get RBI doubles in both the sixth and seventh innings, and the offensive burst would prove to be too much for Mizzou, as the Tigers couldn't generate anything in either frame.
QUOTEABLES
"Days like today just show how great this league can be" Coach Anderson said. "That's a great team we just played, but we've been playing great teams every weekend. I thought we competed in both games. We just have to be more disciplined in the pitches we swing at. Excited for tomorrow. It's going to be a good show."
UP NEXT
Mizzou and Tennessee will face off in the rubber match, as game three at Mizzou Softball Stadium is set for 6 p.m. The game can be viewed on SEC Network, as it has been chosen as the network's Game of the Week.
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).
