The Oklahoma Sooners got to Columbia with a 26-game season-opening winning streak.

They left with their first tally in the loss column.

The Missouri Tigers took the middle game of a three-game series against the No. 1 Sooners as the Tigers moved to 7-2 in their past nine games.

“What we’re taking away from this weekend is knowing that from here on out, we can win every single game,” Missouri coach Larissa Anderson said. “... who knows where the ball falls, but we have the ability and the depth and the talent to be able to win every single game from here on out and to be competitive in every game. There isn’t anybody that’s going to be better than Oklahoma. So why not go out and give it your all and leave it on the field, so at the end of the season, you’re not disappointed and you don’t have any regrets.”

Oklahoma started the series with an 8-0 win.

The Tigers got only one hit from Julia Crenshaw as the Sooners rocked Marissa McCann for seven runs (five earned) across 4.1 innings on seven hits and two walks. She struck out four before Jayci Kruse came on for the final two outs and allowed an unearned run on a walk, while striking out two batters.

But the Tigers responded Saturday with a dominant performance in the circle from Cierra Harrison and Taylor Pannell to lead a 3-1 win, the first loss of the season for the four-time reigning national champions.

“We don’t expect them to throw shut outs, not at this level,” Anderson said. “You’re not gonna, but keep the game close to give our offense an opportunity to be able to score and we have to, offensively, wear down the opposing pitcher and get to their bullpen.”

Harrison worked the first four innings scoreless, allowing three hits, three walks and a hit batter, while striking out three. Then Pannell came on to throw three innings and allow one run on two hits and two walks, while striking out three. It was Pannell’s first save of the season and her country-leading 22nd for her career.

On offense, the Tigers jumped ahead with a Madison Walker home run, then Taylor Ebbs singled to right and scored on a Stefania Abruscato double.

The Tigers added an insurance run in the third on an Ebbs home run.

Oklahoma’s lone run came on a home run in the top of the seventh as the Tigers earned a win in front of the biggest crowd in program history at 4,146.

But the momentum couldn’t carry over to Sunday as Oklahoma won the rubber match 5-1.

McCann returned to the circle and was dealing through the first five innings, allowing just one hit, a leadoff home run in the fourth, as she kept the Tigers in the game.

“Her screwbal was really riding in on those right-handed hitters,” Anderson said. “... Thats what was so effective. I mean, that was the biggest thing with her, is just, continue to hit yourlocation, keep them off balance with the change up and ride that ball in on their hands so they can’t square it up.”

Missouri took the initial lead when Crenshaw launched a third-inning home run into the berm in left field, but the fourth-inning homer tied the game again quickly.

Then McCann left another pitch over the plate in the top of the sixth as Kasidi Pickering launched a two-run home run to break the tie.

The Tigers would not score again as Pannell came in and allowed two Sooner runs in the top of the seventh.

McCann finished with a line of 5.2 innings, three runs allowed on three hits and a walk, while striking out five. Pannell pitched 1+ inning and allowed two unearned runs on three hits, then Harrison came on for the final out, striking out the only batter she faced.

“Cierra was great,” Anderson said. “We weren’t expecting her to have to come in, because we thought Taylor was going to finish the game, but I mean, Cierra being able to rush and get herself game ready to come out and to finish one batter is pretty awesome.”

The Tigers put together four hits. Along with Crenshaw’s home run, Kara Daly and Adi Koller both singled, while Sophie Smith sent her first career double on a line to the wall in right field.

“We just didn’t get the key hit when we needed it,” Anderson said. “... I was extremely proud of how we played this weekend, the whole way through. We competed, we gave them everything we possibly could. It just didn’t work in our favor.”

The Tigers recorded 10,229 fans across the three games, setting the program's regular-season attendance record.

Missouri (18-15, 1-5 SEC) will host the Border War softball edition at 8 p.m. Wednesday, then will hit the road to face Ole Miss from Saturday through Monday.

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