Three takeaways from the Tigers’ 4-0 reign at the Mizzou Invitational

Missouri played host this weekend for the Mizzou Invitational and walked away with four straight wins. A strong showing from the Tigers brought three points of emphasis to light. 

Mizzou softball catcher, senior Julia Crenshaw hitting a home run against Quinnipiac on Saturday, March 15, 2025, at Mizzou Softball Stadium in Columbia, Mo. Mizzou won 7-1 against Quinnipiac with 3 home runs.

Madison Uptegrove taking the reins

Freshman infielder Madison Uptegrove showed incredible promise for her Missouri career. She went 1-for-1 with an RBI sacrifice and scored a run in the home opener against South Dakota State. 

In the next faceoff against Princeton, Uptegrove hit her first career home run to drive in two runs in the sixth inning, extending the Tiger’s lead by three. She wasn’t prominent in the rest of the campaign, but her presence was impactful.

Her performance in the invitational showed fans Uptegrove’s determination and talent. Her skills set a positive tone for the future of Missouri softball as the season progresses. 

Hitting out of the ballpark 

A theme observed at the homestand was how easy hitting home runs was for the Tigers. In total, the Tigers blasted 12 home runs throughout the invitational. Leading the way was sophomore infielder Madison Walker, who hit three. 

 Mizzou softball pitcher, junior Cierra Harrison winding up for her pitch on Saturday, March 15, 2025, at Mizzou Softball Stadium in Columbia, Mo. Harrison pitched for 5 innings against Quinnipiac.

Walker opened the campaign with a three-run home run in the bottom of the first inning, marking her 10th in the season. She notched her 11th in the fifth inning against Princeton, taking a 4-2 lead.

She hit her third home run of the Mizzou Invitational against Quinnipiac University with a two-run shot in the fourth inning, extending the lead 7-0. The Tigers averaged three home runs per game during the invitational, assisting them in adding to a four-game winning streak.

Walker is one of the many Tigers to hit a home run, as senior infielder Julia Crenshaw finished the campaign with two. She hit a home run against South Dakota State and a solo shot against Quinnipiac. Her outstanding showing during the invite brings her home run total to eight for the season.

The ability to rack up home runs proved another strength for the Tigers, possibly foreshadowing a successful season to come.

Pitching to perfection

Along with a stellar weekend of hitting, the Tigers excelled from the mound as well. Sophomore pitcher Marissa McCann and junior pitchers Cierra Harrison and Taylor Pannell successfully held off all their opponents in this invitational.

Mizzou softball outfielder, sophomore Claire Cahalan leading off of second base on Saturday, March 15, 2025 at Mizzou Softball Stadium in Columbia, Mo. Cahalan has had one base stolen so far in the 2025 season.

Harrison pitched the entirety of both faceoffs. In the South Dakota State game, she only gave up one run on four hits and added three strikeouts. In the Quinnipiac game, she pitched the entire game, allowing one run on three hits with eight strikeouts. She picked up the win, improving to 6-4 this season.

McCann pitched one and a half games, splitting the Princeton game with Pannell. McCann threw two clean innings with a trio of strikeouts. The left-handed Pannell notched five strikeouts of her own and went the first three innings without giving up a run.

McCann pitched her sixth complete game against Quinnipiac this season. She also struck out six players, notching her most in a seven-inning outing this season. She improved to a 6-4 record after the win. 

Edited by Killian Wright | kwright@themaneater.com

Copyedited by Stella Spragg and Natalie Kienzty | nkientzy@themaneater.com

Edited by Annie Goodykoontz | agoodykoontz@themaneater.com