University of Missouri
1-0
Marshall
0-2
No. 15 Softball Opens 2025 NFCA Division I Leadoff Classic 2-0
2/7/2025 8:28:00 PM | Softball
CLEARWATER, Fla. – No. 15 ranked University of Missouri softball picked up a pair of wins to commence the 2025 NFCA Division I Leadoff Classic Friday afternoon at the Eddie C. Moore Complex.
Missouri first downed Marshall, 9-1, via five-inning run-rule before Cierra Harrison tossed a three-hit complete-game shutout of No. 20/21 Northwestern. With the wins, Mizzou improved to 2-0 and has started the season 2-0 for the second-straight campaign.
No. 15 Missouri 9, Marshall 1 – Five Innings
Sophomore Abby Hay drove in a personal-best matching four runs on a career-best two doubles to propel Mizzou to the game one victory over Marshall (0-2).
MU scored four runs in the first frame and scored in every inning except the third.
Hay's first double came in the bottom of the first to put Missouri on the board early. In the bottom of the second, Hay drove in two more with her second double of the game, extending the Tigers' advantage to 6-0.
Taylor Ebbs hit a single and notched an RBI in her first career plate appearance as a Missouri Tiger. She was slotted in at designated player in both of Friday's games.
A solo home run in the bottom of the fifth by senior Julia Crenshaw sealed the run-rule victory. The catcher from O'Fallon, Missouri, finished 2-for-2 with three runs, two walks and an RBI as MU's leadoff hitter.
Kara Daly also went 2-for-2 with an RBI and a walk in the opener.
Sophomore pitcher Marissa McCann (1-0) was credited with the complete-game win for the Tigers, pitching five innings only giving up one run on five hits with three strikeouts.
No. 15 Missouri 3, No. 20/21 Northwestern 0
Harrison (1-0) was dealing as Missouri picked up its first top-25 win of the 2025 campaign, edging No. 20/21 Northwestern (1-1), 3-0.
The junior from Lee's Summit, Missouri, threw a career-best 7.0 innings for the fourth time as a Tiger. She notched six strikeouts Friday while allowing just three hits and a walk in the complete-game shutout.
MU capitalized on a Wildcats error in the first before extending the Tigers' lead to 2-0 on an infield single from Stefania Abruscato in the second.
After sealing the game one run-rule win, Crenshaw added an insurance run on an RBI single in the sixth. Claire Cahalan knocked a two-out triple before touching home on Crenshaw's base hit.
GAME NOTES
- Both freshman Sophie Smith and Madison Uptegrove made their first career starts at second base over the two games Friday.
- With two wins Friday, head coach Larissa Anderson is one win away from 350 in her collegiate coaching career (349-189-1, 219-115 at Missouri).
- Missouri's win over Northwestern was its second-straight top-25 win over the Wildcats at the NFCA Division I Leadoff Classic. MU previously defeated No. 8 Northwestern, 6-1, at the 2023 Classic.
NEXT UP
- Mizzou will continue the NFCA Division I Leadoff Classic Saturday with a pair of games.
- MU, the 2024 NFCA Division I Leadoff Classic Champions, will be featured on MLB Network for a second-straight season when the Tigers face No. 7/8 Duke in a 2024 NCAA Super Regionals rematch at noon, CT.
- Missouri wraps Saturday against Notre Dame at 5 p.m., CT.
FOLLOW THE TIGERS
- For all the latest on Mizzou Softball, stay tuned to MUTigers.com and follow the team @MizzouSoftball (X, Instagram, Facebook).
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: McCann, Marissa (1-0)
L: Paige Maynard (0-1)
Batting:
2B: Paige Simpson 1
RBI: Bub Feringa 1
SH: Diamond Leslie 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Paige Simpson 1
Batting:
2B: Hay, Abby 2
HR: Crenshaw, Julia 1
RBI: Crenshaw, Julia 1 ; Hay, Abby 4 ; Ebbs, Taylor 2 ; Daly, Kara 1 ; Dodge, Mya 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Crenshaw, Julia 3 ; Walker, Madison 1 ; Abruscato, Stefania 2 ; Hay, Abby 1 ; Ebbs, Taylor 1 ; Cahalan, Claire 1
SB: Hill, Saniya 1
