For the first four batters, it seemed like Wednesday night was going to be an offensive battle for the Border as Missouri hosted kansas.
But the rest of the game didn’t follow suit.
The visitors collected four hits through four batters, including what ended up as the game-defining three-run home run from Hailey Cripe, to begin the matchup, but no other player would cross the plate in Missouri’s 3-0 loss Wednesday night at Mizzou Softball Field.
“It’s been, I think, the story of our offense when we’re not going well,” Missouri softball assistant coach Jeff Cottrill said. “It will be good at-bat, good at-bat, bad at-bat, bad at-bat. And it’s just those negative at-bats that are killing us right now.”
With Cierra Harrison in the circle to open the game, kansas got started quickly as Presley Limbaugh hustled down the line to beat out a ground ball fielded cleanly at shortstop.
Aynslee Linduff then sent a hard grounder through the left side before Cripe lifted a line drive into the bleachers past the right-field wall to give the visitors the lead they would not relinquish.
September Flanagan then hit a ground ball into the hole between short and third and beat the throw to first, causing Missouri coach Larissa Anderson to go to the circle to talk with her starter.
And the pep talk worked as Harrison struck out the next three batters she faced.
Julia Crenshaw attempted to get the Tiger offense on track with a low line drive to the base of the wall in right, then the Tigers went on to load the bases with two outs. But Missouri was unable to bring a runner across the plate.
Harrison then worked a clean top of the second as she seemed to get fully under control after the talk with Anderson.
But once again, Missouri was unable to take advantage with runners in scoring position as Sophie Smith sent a double to the wall in right-center field, the second extra-base hit of her career and second in two games after garnering her first against Oklahoma on Sunday, then Adi Koller singled just past the outstretched glove of kansas’ retreating shortstop to put runners on the corners with no outs.
A flyout didn’t travel quite far enough to become a sacrifice fly, but Crenshaw walked to load the bases before Missouri grounded into a double play to fail to score with a runner on third and less than two outs for the second time in two innings.
“Early on, just couldn’t get any big hits,” Cottrill said. “... Got runners on base early, I felt like we got a little bit tight as the game went on.”
Although Harrison seemed to be dealing after the poor start, Anderson went to Marissa McCann to start the third, and she shined through the rest of the game.
McCann pitched a clean third, then the Tigers grounded into another double play to erase a baserunner in the bottom half.
McCann threw another scoreless frame in the fourth, but the Tigers flew out three straight times to fail to put a runner on for the first time.
McCann once again fired a scoreless frame and the Tigers made hard contact, but right at fielders in the bottom half of the fifth to remain scoreless.
“Our at-bats just actually seemed to get worse and worse, which was kind of frustrating,” Cottrill said. “I thought if we could get somebody on and get back to the top of the order and get Crenshaw up and get to those top kids again, that it would give us a chance in the seventh.”
Once again, McCann fired a scoreless frame as she collected her fourth of six strikeouts to end the sixth, but a Stefania Abruscato single could not ignite the Tiger offense in the bottom of the frame.
And once more, McCann struck out two to throw a scoreless seventh, but the Tigers went down in order in the bottom half to end the game.
The Tigers were shut out for just the second time this season as Kaelee Washington hurled seven scoreless innings and struck out three, while allowing four hits and five walks.
“You’re getting people on base, you’re like, it’s just a matter of time and then all of a sudden, the next thing you know, you’re down to six outs, three outs,” Cottrill said. “And you’re out of time at that point.”
Up next
Missouri (18-16, 1-5 SEC) will hit the road for a weekend series at No. 19 Ole Miss starting with a 2 p.m. matchup Saturday, followed by a 2 p.m. matchup Sunday and a 6 p.m. matchup Monday.
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