Mizzou Softball Opens 2020 with a Pair of Wins

Friday, February 7

Clearwater, Fla.

11 a.m. CT

University of Missouri

1-0

Notre Dame (RV)

0-1

Missouri

Notre Dame

2/7/2020 7:54:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 Notre Dame Box Score South Alabama Box Score

Tigers defeat Notre Dame, South Alabama to open NFCA Leadoff Classic

CLEARWATER, Fla. – Mizzou Softball opened the season with a pair of wins, Friday at the NFCA Leadoff Classic. The Tigers needed late-inning runs against both Notre Dame and South Alabama, but will open the season 2-0 for the second straight season under head coach Larissa Anderson.

Mizzou defeated the Irish, 3-1, and South Alabama, 7-5, at the Eddie C. Moore Softball Complex.

NOTRE DAME RECAP

Turning Point

Freshman Jordan Weber pitched back-to-back three up, three down innings to get Mizzou to the top of the seventh inning with a 1-1 tie. Brooke Wilmes and Cayla Kessinger led off the top of the seventh with back-to-back singles, advancing to scoring position on a sacrifice fly from Kimberly Wert.

With two outs in the inning, Kendyll Bailey dropped a single into shallow right field to get Wilmes across the plate from third for the go-ahead run. Kessinger added an insurance run on a wild pitch during Emma Nichols' pinch-hit at bat.

Eli Daniel came on in the bottom of the inning to get a pair of strikeouts and preserve the two-run lead for the save.

Top Tigers

Jordan Weber got her first collegiate win after receiving the starting nod. Weber struck out six batters in 6.0 innings, allowing only one run.
Eli Daniel got her first save of the season. She was second in the nation in saves last season with 11.
Kendyll Bailey batted in a pair of runs, going 2-of-4 at the plate.

SOUTH ALABAMA RECAP

Turning Point

Down 5-4 to the Jaguars heading to the bottom of the sixth inning, the Tigers got home runs from Jazmyn Rollin and Wert in order to regain the lead.

With one out, Wilmes singled up the middle to get on base, setting up a two-run shot from Rollin to pull ahead of South Alabama, 6-4. Two batters later, Wert sent a shot of her own to left field to give Mizzou a two-run lead with three outs to play.

Wert's insurance run proved to be unnecessary, as Daniel again come on for the save. The senior struck out the side on less than 15 pitches to finish the day with five strikeouts against only six batters.

Top Tigers

Rollin finished the game 2-for-3 with a double, a home run and three RBI. She also added a stolen base.
Hatti Moore came a triple away from hitting for the cycle – going 3-for-4 against the Jaguars.
Imani Myint scored on a bunt thanks to a pair of errors by the South Alabama defense. The third baseman threw to an empty first base to push Myint to second, and the right fielder bobbled the ball to give her enough time to round third to score on the play.
Daniel struck out all three batters she faced, and earned her second save of the day.

Up Next

Mizzou will be back in action at the NFCA Division I Leadoff Classic on Saturday, playing Baylor and No. 8/7 Minnesota.

For the latest on Mizzou Softball, stay tuned at MUTigers.com and follow the Tigers on Twitter, Instagram and Tik Tok (@MizzouSoftball) and on Facebook (University of Missouri Softball Team).