For the first 4.5 innings, the starting pitchers dueled. Then the Tiger bats broke through with the help of a single swing.
Every run scored in the bottom of the fifth or later Tuesday as the Missouri Tigers beat the Illinois Fighting Illini 5-3 at Mizzou Softball Complex.
On the first pitch of the bottom of the fifth, Kara Daly launched her seventh home run of the season on a line over the right-center field wall to break what had been a scoreless tie.
“Sometimes it takes just one hitter,” Missouri coach Larissa Anderson said. “Kara was able to capitalize and hit that home run for everyone else to trust what their plan is and be able to execute.”
Then the Tigers handed the ball back to starter Cierra Harrison, who had been lights out throughout the game.
In the first five innings, Harrison had allowed only four baserunners on one hit, one walk and two hit batters, with Illinois getting two runners on base only once in the third inning as Harrison racked up eight strikeouts in five frames.
But in the top of the sixth, Illinois’ Ella Cushing matched Daly by sending the first pitch of the frame over the left-field wall, tying the rivalry matchup at one.
After getting the next two batters out, a single ended Harrison’s day as the Tigers turned to Taylor Pannell.
“Cierra Harrison threw absolutely amazing today,” Anderson said. “Real good stuff, threw both sides of the plate. Great command, she did a great job setting up batters.”
Harrison’s line ended up at 5.2 innings, one run, three hits, two walks and eight strikeouts..
Pannell got a groundout to send the game to the bottom of the sixth tied at one.
Then the Tigers followed Daly’s example and started wracking up hits.
Taylor Ebbs sent a flair to right and was pinch run for by Adi Koller, then Daly sent a line drive to left-center field that skirted by the Illinois center fielder and to the wall, bringing Koller all the way around from first to put the Tigers in front once again.
“It came down to Adi Koller at first base coming in as the pinch runner,” Anderson said of the sixth-inning spurt. “She and I had a conversation and this goes with everybody who comes out of the dugout, like, anyone that’s being called upon is being put in a situation to be successful and relied on. It can come down to that one play and it came down to Adi being at first base and being able to score from first on Kara’s double to center field. That was huge in Adi buying into what her role is.”
Sophie Smith then walked and Madison Uptegrove singled with a line drive to left that was misplayed in the outfield, allowing Daly to score and putting runners on second and third.
But a failed squeeze bunt attempt caught Smith between third and home, taking the situation from second and third with one out to just a runner on third with two outs.
Kayley Lenger walked and stole second, then slap-hitting sophomore Claire Cahalan poked a short bloop into center just past the drawn-in infield for a two-RBI single.
“My game’s not to hit a two-RBI single,” Cahalan said. “But I was just working on passing the bat, … doing my job to get on base. And when I’m on base, I know that I have people like Kara that can get me in.”
Cahalan’s hit put the Tigers up 5-1 to begin the seventh.
But Pannell didn’t have her best control as she allowed a single, a walk and an RBI double to put the game’s tying run at the plate, which led Anderson to bring in Nathalie Touchet.
Touchet allowed a single that brought in another run, but got a pop up to first and another to second to end the matchup with the Tigers in front.
“I’m impressed with Natalie Touchet coming in, in that situation,” Anderson said. “She hasn’t been in that, that closing role, coming in with a game on the line and we had the go-ahead run at home plate. So those are impressive for us to see that she was able to come through in that situation.”
Pannell got the win, but allowed two runs on two hits and a walk in .1 innings pitched. Touchet got the save, firing one inning and allowing one hit.
Daly led the Tiger offense with two hits, two runs scored and two RBI, while Uptegrove was 2-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI.
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