University of Missouri
42-14
No. 4 Seed 16/13 Arkansas
36-16
No. 11/12 Softball Earns Spot in SEC Tournament Semifinals with Win Over No. 16/13 Arkansas
5/10/2024 1:27:00 PM | Softball
AUBURN, Ala. – The fifth seeded No. 11/12 University of Missouri softball team (42-14) secured a spot in the 2024 SEC Tournament Semifinals Friday morning, edging fourth seeded No. 16/13 Arkansas (36-16), 3-1, at Jane B. Moore Field.
With the victory, Mizzou will face eighth seeded No. 10/9 LSU Friday in the Semifinals at 3 p.m., CT on ESPN2.
Missouri advanced to its third SEC Tournament Semifinal in the past four seasons (made Semifinal appearances in 2021 and 2022).
The win is also the Tigers sixth SEC Tournament win in their past eight Tournament games dating back to the 2022 season.
Riding a 2-1 lead earned before play was suspended on Thursday (9:24 p.m., CT, top of the fifth inning), the Tigers picked up where they left off Friday earning the 3-1 victory.
Play resumed Friday at 9 a.m., CT with Mizzou increasing its edge to 3-1 on a double steal play from Alex Honnold and Jenna Laird. Laird slid safely home while Honnold drew a pickle between first and second base.
Cierra Harrison returned to the circle for Missouri after play was resumed Friday. Harrison pitched five innings for the win, allowing just one earned run on four hits with a pair of strikeouts. She improved to 14-3 in 2024.
Harrison was relieved for Marissa McCann in the bottom of the sixth with two on and no outs. After letting up a single to load the bases, McCann retired the Razorbacks with an infield fly before consecutive strikeouts to deny the threat.
Closer Taylor Pannell then finished the job, picking up her NCAA-leading 14th save of the season. She is one save away from tying the NCAA single-season record.
Mizzou took a 2-1 advantage before play was suspended Thursday evening in the top of the fifth. Following a weather delay called at 9:24 p.m., CT, play was suspended with resumption set for Friday at 9 a.m., CT.
The Tigers took a 1-0 lead on Thursday off a Maddie Gallagher RBI double in the top of the first. Jenna Laird commenced the contest with a single to left before touching home on Gallagher's two-bagger.
Arkansas evened the contest at 1-1 with a solo homer from Hannah Gammill in the fourth.
Mizzou then retook the lead in the fifth before play was suspended. Kayley Lenger led off the frame with a bunt single before Laird doubled her home.
Honnold followed with a single to the shortstop to put Tigers on the corners as Arkansas made a pitching change right before Thursday's weather delay.
Honnold has hit safely in four-straight games and extended her reached base streak to 12 games. She is one hit away from 200 in her career.
Jenna Laird paced Mizzou at the plate with a 2-for-4 outing with two runs, a double and an RBI. She has now made 236 career consecutive starts and is one game away from becoming Mizzou's all-time consecutive games leader, surpassing Hatti Moore (2018-22).
Laird leads Mizzou with 21 multi-hit games in 2024.
Eight Tigers posted a hit in the win Friday morning.
Abby Hay has hit safely in three-straight games.
Stefania Abruscato has now reached base safely in eight consecutive games.
Kayley Lenger, Hay, Julia Crenshaw are currently on five-game reached base streaks. Maddie Gallagher has reached base in each of the last three contests.
With the win Friday morning, Mizzou matched its win total from 2021 (42-17) when the Tiger last hosted a Super Regional.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Harrison, Cierra (14-3)
L: Morgan Leinstock (13-5)
S: Pannell, Taylor (14)
Batting:
2B: Laird, Jenna 1 ; Gallagher, Maddie 1
RBI: Laird, Jenna 1 ; Gallagher, Maddie 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Laird, Jenna 2 ; Lenger, Kayley 1
SB: Laird, Jenna 1
CS: Honnold, Alex 1
Batting:
HR: Hannah Gammill 1
RBI: Hannah Gammill 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Hannah Gammill 1
HBP: Bri Ellis 1
