Missouri shut out the University of Missouri-Kansas City 3-0 on the road. 

After five scoreless innings, Missouri’s offense pushed in three runs in the sixth inning. After one out, senior outfielder Alex Honnold registered her first triple of the season to get the offense going. Honnold wasn’t on third long, as junior catcher Julia Crenshaw brought her home with a single. 

The Tigers’ offense wasn’t done, as senior infielder Maddie Gallagher crushed a two-run home run with two outs. This was Gallagher’s first home run of the season and only the second of her career at Missouri. 

After the offensive explosion, the game was left in the hands of sophomore pitcher Cierra Harrison. Harrison faced minimal challenges, pitching seven scoreless innings in a complete game. 

Harrison allowed two hits while striking out 10 batters. The sophomore didn’t allow a single walk, or a runner to advance past first base.

In her 10 appearances this season, Harrison had not allowed an earned run in seven of those games. This is the second complete game for Harrison this year, with the other being her first career no-hitter against Texas A&M Commerce. 

This marked the first mid-week trip of the season for Missouri softball. With the travel usually taking only a single day, it severely limits the ability of a team to get comfortable.

“The bus is your locker room,” head coach Larissa Anderson said in a press conference on Tuesday, March 5. “It’s that mindset of when you get off the bus, you got to be ready to play. And you don’t have that transition of being able to collect yourself.”

Missouri looked shaky early on offense, with only two hits through the first five innings. The Tigers had an opportunity to bring runs home in the fourth, with the bases loaded and two outs on the board. However the offense was unable to capitalize, as junior infielder Kara Daly grounded into a fielder’s choice to end the inning.

Despite the slow offensive start, the three runs were enough thanks to the great pitching from Harrison. Missouri softball improves to 18-2 overall, winning its fifth in a row. 

Edited by Michael Stamps | mstamps@themaneater.com 

Copy edited by Sterling Sewell | ssewell@themaneater.com Edited by Genevieve Smith | gsmith@themaneater.com