No. 25 Missouri softball (29-17, 8-9 SEC) welcomed Saint Louis (20-22, 12-5 A-10) to Columbia for a midweek clash Wednesday afternoon. The Tigers defeated the Billikens 9-3 behind a balanced offensive attack that featured hits from eight of the nine players in the batting order and an efficient outing from the pitching staff.
“It’s great to get that offensive production the whole way through the lineup because, again, who do [opposing teams] pitch to if you’re getting production from everybody,” Missouri head coach Larissa Anderson said.
Making her first start since Feb. 13 against Liberty, Missouri junior pitcher Megan Schumacher allowed three runs (one earned) in five innings to pick up her fifth win of the season.
Sophomore pitcher Laurin Krings replaced Schumacher in the sixth inning and finished off the victory, allowing no hits and striking out three over two innings.
The Saint Louis starter, senior pitcher Chloe Wendling, retired six of the first seven batters before Missouri senior first baseman Emma Raabe sent a full count pitch down the left field line for a solo home run to begin the third inning.
Not to be outdone, graduate outfielder Brooke Wilmes drilled a two-run home run three batters later, giving Missouri a 3-0 lead. Wilmes’ home run moved her into first place on Missouri’s all-time extra base hits list. She also became the first Tiger in program history to reach 100 extra base hits.
“It was such a great feeling,” Wilmes said. “It’s not just me who gets that [record]. Of course, my name will be there, but it’s [thanks to] all the help that I’ve had in the past.”
Not to be outdone, graduate outfielder Brooke Wilmes drilled a two-run home run three batters later, giving Missouri a 3-0 lead. Wilmes’ home run moved her into first place on Missouri’s all-time extra base hits list. She also became the first Tiger in program history to reach 100 extra base hits.
“It was such a great feeling,” Wilmes said. “It’s not just me who gets that [record]. Of course, my name will be there, but it’s [thanks to] all the help that I’ve had in the past.”
The Billikens responded with their first scare in the fourth inning, when two consecutive singles brought junior utility player Cami Newbanks to the plate with one out. Newbanks unloaded on a 2-1 offering, driving a run home on a double off the left field wall to bring Saint Louis within two runs.
Missouri countered with its own rally in the bottom of the fourth, scoring three runs with two outs on a throwing error, graduate catcher Hatti Moore’s RBI triple and sophomore shortstop Jenna Laird’s RBI single to give the Tigers a 6-1 lead.
After loading the bases with no outs in the fifth inning, the Billikens scored their second run on a Schumacher error, which brought graduate infielder Sadie Wise to the plate for another bases-loaded opportunity. Wise hit a sharp ground ball to right field, but Missouri sophomore infielder/outfielder Alex Honnold fired a strike to nab the leading runner at home.
Redshirt senior infielder Kendyll Bailey led off the home half of the fifth with a double to left center field, and graduate infielder Kimberly Wert continued her torrid stretch with a two-run home run to center field, her fifth home run in the last four games.
“Honestly, I’m just swinging at better pitches, [and] I got back to having more fun,” Wert said. “I feel like the team offense as a whole has kind of turned a corner here.”
Krings retired the order in the top of the sixth before Wilmes drove in her third run of the day on a double down the right field line in the bottom half to extend the Tigers’ lead to 9-3. Saint Louis tried to grab momentum in the seventh, but Moore threw out a runner attempting to steal second, and Krings closed out the game with two quick outs.
Missouri used a combination of contact and power hitting to overwhelm the Billikens and continue its scorching offensive output. The Tigers hit three home runs, finished with 11 hits and showcased a balanced effort throughout the batting order.
“We’re starting to feel more comfortable, more confident, and that’s why you’re seeing the results that you’re seeing,” Anderson said.
After scoring 30 total runs in three games against Kentucky, Missouri added onto its recent success with the nine runs against Saint Louis. The Tigers sought to continue that offensive spectacle when Texas A&M visited Columbia for a three-games series on April 29-May 1 this weekend.
Edited by Riley Gearhart | rgearhart@themaneater.com
