Mizzou softball sweeps Leathernecks in doubleheader
Following a tough weekend road series against the Georgia Bulldogs, the No. 20-ranked Missouri Tigers returned home for a doubleheader against the Western Illinois Leathernecks out of the Summit League.
Mizzou got on the board early in game one and never looked back. The Tigers dominated both games, winning the first 10-0 and the second 6-0.
Senior Hatti Moore started off the day right in the bottom of the first inning of the first game of the day, sending a two-run home run over the left field fence. The Tigers added more runs in the next inning. With two runners on first and third, a hit by Abby George allowed Megan Moll to score making it 3-0. The next batter, Brooke Wilmes, had an RBI double deep into right field, which brought in two more Tigers and extended their lead to 5-0.
Leathernecks pitcher Maddy Anderson dropped to 3-2 on the year as she gave up six hits and five runs in just a single inning pitched. She was replaced by Abby Carlin.
The Tiger pitching was excellent, a welcome sight for a group that struggled over the weekend against Georgia. Freshman Laurin Krings (5-2) pitched a complete game striking out a career high ten batters while only allowing two hits for her fifth win for the season.
The Tigers put an exclamation mark on their dominant performance in the fifth inning. Freshman Riley Frizzel singled into right field, bringing home Alex Honnold and making the score 6-0. A few batters later, with the bases loaded, Wilmes finished off her great performance with a grand slam into right center field on a 3-0 count. The walk-off homer gave the Tigers a 10-0 victory.
Wilmes went 4-4 with a career high 6 RBI’s in game one. Swinging on a 3-0 count is something head coach Larrissa Anderson wants her squad to continue doing.
“I used to have a philosophy that automatic take 3-0," Anderson said. "That’s what I was, and you know, for 20 years, it’s an automatic take 3-0, and then I see some stats that is getting put out there and when hitters swing at the 3-0 pitch, there like hitting .425. And well, I’m like, I’ll take that. So now we have the green light and we really been jumping on that opportunity."
Megan Schumacher was on the mound for game two, and like Krings, she pitched a complete game shutout, striking out six batters and improving to 6-1 on the year. Anderson was pleased with both of her pitchers.
“They really struggled this past weekend down in Georgia, so then we really needed a good outing by them," Anderson said. "I think they performed very well. I mean, two shutouts, that's pretty remarkable.”
For the second straight game, Moore started with a home run, bringing in Wilmes for an early 2-0 lead. It was Moore's 10th home run of the year. Emma Raabe would have a three-RBI double into right center field in the bottom of the third inning, and Moore would close out the Tigers scoring in the bottom of the fifth inning with her second home run into right field, finishing off a 6-0 victory for the Tigers. Moore is now ninth on the Tigers all-time home run list.
The Tigers improved to 22-6 on the year to go along with a perfect 6-0 record at home. Anderson’s squad will open up their first SEC home series with the Auburn Tigers paying a visit to Columbia for a three game series starting on Friday.
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