University of Missouri
12-13
South Dakota State
13-14
Softball Opens Mizzou Invitational 2-0 Thursday
3/13/2025 10:11:00 PM | Softball
COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri softball picked up a pair of wins to commence its home-opening 2025 Mizzou Invitational Thursday at Mizzou Softball Stadium.
Missouri first downed South Dakota State, 9-1, via run-rule.
The Tigers then notched a come-from-behind victory under the lights over Princeton that featured freshman Madison Uptegrove's first career home run.
With the wins, Mizzou improved to 13-13 this season.
Missouri 9, South Dakota State 1 – Five Innings
Senior Julia Crenshaw drove in a season-best four runs including a double and a homer to lead Mizzou in the game one victory over South Dakota State (14-14).
MU scored a season-best seven runs in the first frame before adding another two in the third to secure the run-rule win.
Crenshaw's double came in the bottom of the first to drive in two runs for the Tigers.
In the bottom of the third, the senior catcher from O'Fallon, Missouri, put one over the left field fence for another two runs batted in, extending the Tigers' advantage to 9-1. The homer marked the seventh of the campaign (20 in her career) for Crenshaw.
Madison Walker opened the scoring Thursday with a three-run homer in the bottom of the first, marking her 10th of the season.
Senior Kara Daly drove in a run with a double to right center in the first inning before being driven in herself three at-bats later.
Freshman Madison Uptegrove also went 1-for-1 with an RBI sacrifice fly to go with a run scored in the home opener.
Junior pitcher Cierra Harrison was credited with the complete-game (third in 2025) win for the Tigers, pitching five innings and only giving up one run on four hits with three strikeouts. She improved to 5-4 in 2025.
The meeting with SDSU was the second of the season and the second run-rule victory over the Jackrabbits for Missouri (third run-rule win for MU in 2025).
Missouri 7, Princeton 4
After two scoreless innings, Missouri got on the board with an RBI double in the third from Stefania Abruscato. Walker later drove in Abruscato for the second run of the inning to increase the score to 2-0.
Princeton put up four runs in the fourth, taking a 4-2 lead over Mizzou before a solo shot from Walker leveled the game in the fifth. It marked Walkers' 11th homer of the campaign and second of the day.
Sophomore Abby Hay provided two RBI Thursday with a one-run double in the fifth (4-3 Princeton) and the go-ahead sacrifice fly in the sixth (5-4 Mizzou).
Uptegrove crushed her first-career homer to drive in two runs in the sixth, extending MU's lead to three. She is currently on a five-game reached base streak.
Junior Kayley Lenger went 2-for-2, scoring both times.
Sophomore Claire Cahalan finished 1-for-2 with a walk, run and stolen base. She is currently on an 11-game reached base streak
Sophomore Marissa McCann picked up the win to improve to 5-4 in 2025, throwing two clean innings to conclude the game. She tallied a trio of strikeouts.
Junior Taylor Pannell notched five strikeouts in her 3.1 innings, including the first three innings without a run.
Sophomore Nathalie Touchet pitched 1.2 innings in relief of Pannell, allowing no runs on three hits.
GAME NOTES
- Stefania Abruscato reached 10 career doubles with an RBI two-bagger to right field against Princeton.
- With four RBIs in the home opener, Julia Crenshaw is now just three shy of 100 on her career.
- Julia Crenshaw has now reached base in 15-straight games (seven-game hitting streak).
- Madison Uptegrove doubled her career RBI total Thursday, recording her first career two RBI game against Princeton.
NEXT UP
- The Tigers next host Michigan at the Mizzou Softball Stadium. The game will be featured on SEC Network+.
FOLLOW THE TIGERS
- For all the latest on Mizzou Softball, stay tuned to MUTigers.com and follow the team @MizzouSoftball (X, Instagram, Facebook).
- Diamond Club is accepting new members. Email MAF@missouri.edu or call 573-882-0704 to join.
- Join us in Expanding the Tradition of excellence in Mizzou Softball! This special initiative focuses on building a Rock M at the Mizzou Softball Stadium, a centerpiece of Tiger pride. The Rock M will debut at the Tigers' 2025 Mizzou Invitational starting on March 13.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Harrison, Cierra (5-4)
L: Kierra Goos (0-1)
Batting:
HR: Mia Jarecki 1
RBI: Mia Jarecki 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Mia Jarecki 1
Batting:
2B: Crenshaw, Julia 1 ; Daly, Kara 1
HR: Crenshaw, Julia 1 ; Walker, Madison 1
RBI: Crenshaw, Julia 4 ; Walker, Madison 3 ; Daly, Kara 1 ; Uptegrove, Madison 1
SF: Uptegrove, Madison 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Crenshaw, Julia 2 ; Abruscato, Stefania 1 ; Walker, Madison 1 ; Ebbs, Taylor 1 ; Daly, Kara 1 ; Cahalan, Claire 1 ; Hay, Abby 1 ; Uptegrove, Madison 1
SB: Cahalan, Claire 1
HBP: Cahalan, Claire 1
