Missouri goes on a three-loss streak against Kentucky during SEC-opening weekend

Missouri softball endured a tough stretch of defeats against the Kentucky Wildcats, opening its SEC slate of games with three straight losses. The Tigers totaled seven walks by the end of the campaign and dropped to 11-13 in 2025.

Sophomore University of Missouri outfielder Claire Cahalan leads 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. (Ellen Hayden/Maneater)

Kentucky 6, Missouri 4

Despite Missouri jumping out to an early lead, the Wildcats pulled away late, winning 6-4. Tiger freshman infielder Madison Uptegrove recorded her first career triple in the second inning to get the scoring started for the Tigers. Kentucky responded quickly, evening the score in the bottom half of the inning. 

Sophomore pitcher Marissa McCann pitched for five innings, allowing five earned runs of the six total, with four walks and four strikeouts. Junior Taylor Pannell relieved McCann in the last two innings, allowing a run on two hits, two walks and two strikeouts. 

Infielder Julia Crenshaw was an offensive standout in game one, drilling her fifth home run of the season, which gave the Tigers a 2-1 lead in the third inning. However, the runs McCann allowed ensured shortly after: Kentucky responded with a three-run home run and an RBI double.

Later in the fifth inning, Crenshaw earned a run and then scored on a passed ball. Kentucky added a final run off an RBI in the sixth, which would wrap up the game with the first of three losses for the Tigers.

Crenshaw went 2-for-4 with two runs, two RBIs, a double and a homer. In the conclusion of the first game, she had hit three straight games and was on an 11-game reached base streak.

Junior University of Missouri softball pitcher Cierra Harrison prepares to pitch  in a game against Quinnipiac on Saturday, March 15, 2025, at Mizzou Softball Stadium in Columbia, Mo. Harrison pitched for 5 innings against Quinnipiac. (Ellen Hayden/Maneater)

Kentucky 5, Missouri 4

Missouri fell short in its second game against Kentucky, losing 5-4. However, in a similar fashion as game one, the Tigers quickly took the lead in the second inning. 

This was senior infielder Taylor Ebbs’ second game facing her former team. Like Crenshaw, she finished 2-for-4 with two runs, three RBIs and a double with a home run. She had then notched a season-best of two hits five times.

An RBI single from outfielder Stefania Abruscato pushed the Tigers ahead early, but Kentucky was again ready to respond. The Wildcats proceeded to go on a five-run scoring stretch, including a three-run stretch in the fourth inning. A three-run home run from Missouri infielder Ebbs pushed the score closer, but it wasn’t enough.

Junior pitcher Cierra Harrison pitched five innings for the Tigers, allowing five earned runs and recording five strikeouts. This compiled her No. 200 career strikeout. Senior pitcher Jayci Kruse came in as relief and held Kentucky scoreless with two hits and a strikeout.   

Senior University of Missouri softball catcher Julia Crenshaw hits 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. (Ellen Hayden/Maneater)

Kentucky 9, Missouri 6

The Tigers’ losing streak continued as they fell to Kentucky in the final game of the campaign 9-6. Despite the best efforts of Crenshaw, Missouri didn’t manage to bring home a win in its SEC-opening series. 

Crenshaw, Hay and Ebbs were big contributors to this campaign to Missouri’s strengths. Crenshaw is now three home runs away from matching her personal best of nine. Ebbs reached home plate in all three games and went 2-for-3 in the final game. Hay had a career-best of two hits, two RBIs, two runs, a walk, a double and a home run.

The Tigers held onto a lead in the second inning, taking a 3-2 lead with an RBI double from first baseman Abby Hay and another RBI from Crenshaw off a ground shot. However, with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the second and a three-run home run in the third, Kentucky took the lead 9-3 later in the inning, setting up an opportunity for an improbable comeback by Crenshaw and the Tigers.

The Tigers attempted to do just that, with Hay sending one out of the park for her second home run of the season. Crenshaw added another RBI and Ebbs notched an RBI base hit to center, but that’s all that was in the cards in the scoring department for the Tigers.

McCann started for the Tigers, pitching for the first two innings and allowing two earned runs. Pannell pitched the third and fourth innings with four earned runs, three walks and two strikeouts. Sophomore pitcher Nathalie Touchet pitched the final two innings, allowing one earned run with a strikeout and two walks. 

Missouri went home to face South Dakota State at 2:30 p.m. on March 13 at the Mizzou Softball Stadium.

Edited by Michael Stamps | mstamps@themaneater.com

Edited by Natalie Kientzy | nkientzy@themaneater.com

Edited by Annie Goodykoontz | agoodykoontz@themaneater.com