University of Missouri
3-0
7/8 Duke
2-1
No. 15 Softball Splits Day 2 of NFCA Division I Leadoff Classic
2/8/2025 9:34:00 PM | Softball
CLEARWATER, Fla. – No. 15 ranked University of Missouri softball split its second day of the 2025 NFCA Division I Leadoff Classic Saturday at the Eddie C. Moore Complex.
Missouri registered a top-10 victory over No. 7/8 Duke, 10-3, in a rematch of the 2024 NCAA Columbia Super Regional. The game was the first of a tripleheader of softball contests aired nationally on MLB Network.
Head coach Larissa Anderson earned her 350th career victory (350-190-1, 220-116 at Missouri) with the win over the Blue Devils. Anderson was also inducted into the Gannon University (Erie, Pennsylvania) Athletics Hall of Fame Saturday evening.
In the night cap, MU fell to Notre Dame, 4-3, to split Saturday's day of competition.
With a 1-1 record on Saturday, Missouri is now 3-1 in 2025 and will conclude the Classic Sunday against Iowa (2-2). First pitch is 9 a.m., CT.
No. 15 Missouri 10, No. 7/8 Duke 3
Missouri utilized a nine-run sixth inning to power its way past No. 7/8 Duke (2-1) for the Tigers' first top-10 win of the season.
The Tigers scored all nine runs with two outs over the sixth frame. A two-run single from Kara Daly leveled the contest at 3-3. Stefania Abruscato added an RBI double as Missouri would pull ahead and not look back.
Madison Walker's two-run shot to left field capped the inning as MU picked up its largest win of the campaign.
Duke took an early 1-0 lead in the fourth before Abruscato tied the game for the first time with a solo homer to right.
Abruscato paced the Tigers at the dish, going 3-for-4 with two runs and two RBI. Julia Crenshaw (2-for-4, 2 runs), Walker (2-for-4, run) and Daly (1-for-4) each had a pair of RBI Saturday.
Cierra Harrison picked up her second win in the circle (2-0 in 2025), going 5.0 innings, allowing three runs on nine hits with a strikeout.
Taylor Pannell, the NCAA's active saves leader, made her first appearance of the season, throwing the final two innings (three hits allowed, one strikeout).
Claire Cahalan knocked her second-straight triple in the win.
No. 15 Missouri 3, Notre Dame 4
In a back-and-forth affair, it was Notre Dame who came out on top. The Fighting Irish handed MU its first loss of the season with a two-run walk-off home run from Jane Kronenberger in the bottom of the seventh.
ND got on the board first Saturday before Walker hit her second home run in as many games, a solo shot to left center, to even the game at 1-1 in the fourth.
Mya Dodge then stole home in the fifth to provide Mizzou a 2-1 lead. She finished with two stolen bases Saturday.
Notre Dame would tie the contest one last time at 2-2 (bottom of the fifth) before Abruscato knocked an RBI single for a 3-2 MU edge in the sixth.
Walker, Abruscato and freshman Sophie Smith each had a hit for Missouri against ND. For Smith, a second baseman from Spring, Texas, the hit was her first in her collegiate career.
Marissa McCann made the start, allowing one earned run (four runs) on four hits with two strikeouts over 2.1 innings.
She was relieved by junior Courtney Donahue. In her Mizzou debut, Donahue let up just one earned run on four hits over the 2.2-inning relief outing.
Taylor Pannell (0-1) was handed the loss, finishing with a stat line of two earned runs on three hits and a strikeout over 1.1 innings.
GAME NOTES
- Stefania Abruscato is currently on a four-game hitting streak to start the 2025 campaign. She is hitting .500 with four RBI.
- Stefania Abruscato made her first start of the season at catcher against Notre Dame.
- Madison Walker and Abby Hay have both reached base safely in all four games this season while Claire Cahalan has reached based in three-straight games.
NEXT UP
- Mizzou will conclude the 2025 NFCA Division I Leadoff Classic Sunday against Iowa.
- First pitch is at 9 a.m., CT on Field 4 at the Eddie C. Moore Complex.
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: Micaela Kastor (1-1)
L: Pannell, Taylor (0-1)
Batting:
HR: Walker, Madison 1
RBI: Walker, Madison 1 ; Abruscato, Stefania 1
SH: Crenshaw, Julia 1 ; Smith, Sophie 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Cahalan, Claire 1 ; Walker, Madison 1 ; Dodge, Mya 1
SB: Dodge, Mya 2
CS: Smith, Sophie 1 ; Lenger, Kayley 1
Batting:
2B: Sydny Poeck 1
HR: Jane Kronenberger 1
RBI: Kaia Cortes 1 ; Jane Kronenberger 3
SH: Anna Holloway 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Caroline O'Brien 1 ; Sydny Poeck 1 ; Addison Amaral 1 ; Jane Kronenberger 1
SB: Caroline O'Brien 1
CS: Mickey Winchell 1
