The Missouri Tiger softball team took a trip to California to play in the Mary Nutter Classic from Thursday through Saturday, playing five games in three days and winning two.
Thursday
Game 1
The No. 22 Tigers opened the Classic with a 1-0 win against Rutgers.
Taylor Pannell, the country’s active career saves leader, started for the first time in her career and pitched a complete-game shutout, allowing five hits, two walks and a hit batter, while striking out seven.
Missouri’s run came in the bottom of the fifth when freshman Madison Uptegrove singled to left, took second on a wild pitch and freshman Saniya Hill pinch hit and doubled to bring her home. Both the double and the RBI were the first of Hill’s career.
Missouri collected four hits in the match with singles from Julia Crenshaw and Taylor Ebbs to go with Uptegrove and Hill.
Game 2
The Tigers then dropped a 4-1 matchup with No. 4 UCLA to close the Classic’s opening day.
UCLA scored two in the second inning, then hit back-to-back home runs in the sixth, while Missouri’s lone run came on a Madison Walker sacrifice fly in the sixth to score Crenshaw.
Crenshaw reached base on a double to collect hit No. 100 for her career.
The Tigers had four total hits with Hill adding one and Claire Cahalan going 2-for-3.
Marissa McCann started in the circle, allowing four runs (two earned) on eight hits and a walk, while striking out three in 5.1 innings.
Nathali Touchet pitched the final .2, allowing one hit.
Friday
Game 1
The Tigers bounced back to start the second day of the Classic, beating Baylor 8-3.
Cierra Harrison started for the Tigers and hurled a complete game, allowing three runs on four hits, while striking out seven.
The Tigers scored three runs in the top of the first and never trailed, adding a run in the top of the third, another in the sixth and three more in the seventh.
Crenshaw opened the game with a home run, then Kara Daly walked and Stefania Abruscato launched a home run to center to put the Tigers up 3-0 early.
Walker homered in the third for the Tigers’ run, then in the sixth, Abruscato singled and Danielle Blackstun pinch ran for her. Hill sacrifice bunted, Ebbs walked and Uptegrove walked to load the bases before Crenshaw walked to bring Blackstun home.
In the seventh, Walker doubled and was pinch run for by Jordyn Thurman, then Daly doubled to score Thurman, Abruscato doubled to score Daly and Haidyn Sokoloski singled to bring home Abruscato.
Missouri piled up 11 hits with Crenshaw, Walker and Abruscato all hitting home runs.
Walker, Daly, Abruscato and Uptegrove all doubled and Abruscato led the game with three hits and three RBI.
Game 2
But the Tigers followed that up by dropping a 3-1 matchup with Minnesota.
All of the Golden Gophers’ runs came on a three-run home run in the third.
Missouri’s lone run came in the fifth when Sokoloski singled, Uptegrove singled, Crenshaw singled to load the bases and Cahalan hit into a fielder’s choice to score pinch runner Adi Koller.
Sokoloski had a double and three hits to lead Missouri’s six-hit attack.
McCann pitched all six innings for Missouri, allowing three runs on four hits and a walk, while striking out seven.
Saturday
The Tigers finished their trip to California with an 11-3 loss to No. 19 Oregon.
The Ducks piled up three runs in the second, five in the third and three more in the seventh, while all three of Mizzou’s runs came in the bottom of the third.
Cahalan singled, Abby Hay walked and Daly homered to left to bring them home.
Missouri had five total hits with Walker, Hill and Smith all adding singles.
Harrison started, allowing six runs (four earned) on four hits and a walk, while striking out two in 2.2 innings. McCann came on in relief, pitching 3.1 innings and allowing four runs on two hits and three walks, while striking out two.
Pannell came in for the final inning, allowing a run on one hit, while striking out one.
Missouri (8-8) will come closer to home to play in the Shocker Invite starting Friday. The Tigers will play No. 14 Oklahoma State and Wichita State on Friday, South Dakota State and No. 16 Nebraska on Saturday and Nebraska again on Sunday.
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