STOCK
From April 5-6, the Missouri softball team totaled three losses to No. 1 Texas. Here are three takeaways from the weekend and predictions on what this could mean for the team’s future.
Struggles in the SEC
The Missouri women’s softball team now has 20 wins under its belt, but the struggles have been prominent in conference games. Out of the 12 conference games this season, the team has only won against Oklahoma and Ole Miss.
Missouri faced both Oklahoma and Ole Miss three times and only walked away with one win against each. In SEC play, the Tigers’ weaknesses are put under a spotlight. Defensive weak spots and hitting patterns are quickly recognized, and opponents adjust accordingly.
In the second game of the Texas series, Texas’ outfield swiftly picked up on hitting patterns and covered the field to accommodate. Missouri only scored once off a home run from sophomore infielder Madison Walker, when the defense couldn’t intervene.
“We’re going in very excited,” said junior pitcher Cierra Harrison when asked about the mindset going into the Texas games. “We want to play and we want to win so we can continue winning.”
While the drive is there, the execution is falling short.
When facing smaller universities, the Tigers’ talent shines bright but it is quickly dulled down in conference games. If Missouri wants to hold its own against conference teams, the Tigers need to play at a higher level.
Disastrous Defense
Texas shutout the Tigers 8-0 in the first game, bringing a fatal flaw to light: defense. While Texas had strong hitters, runs could have been limited.
Right off the bat, junior catcher Reese Atwood hit an RBI in the first inning, allowing junior outfielder Ashton Maloney to score. The Tigers failed to tag Atwood out, leading to a grand slam from graduate student infielder Joley Mitchell that gave Texas an early lead of 4-0.
While Mitchell is one of Texas’ strongest hitters, the three extra runs could have been limited to one by keeping the bases clear. A similar incident happened in the top of the fifth inning, where senior infielder Mia Scott made it all the way to third off an RBI.
“Their offensive lineup is potent the whole way through,” said head coach Larissa Anderson in preparation for the Texas game. “We have to be intentional in everything we do, because if not, they are going to completely take advantage of it.”
In the final game, sophomore outfielder Kayden Henry and Maloney were on base when Mitchell singled an RBI to center, allowing Maloney to score. This was closely followed by a home run from sophomore infielder Katie Stewart that sent Henry and Mitchell home too. This single inning propelled the Longhorns to their final win of the weekend, and Missouri trailed behind with one run.
Keeping an Eye on the Ball
While Missouri’s defense was self-inflicting, the offense had its own problems. It is impossible to score when players can’t get past the pitcher, and the Tigers struggled to make it on base.
In the first game, the Tigers didn’t have a single hit the entire game. Texas sophomore pitcher Teagan Kavan pitched the first two games and took the mound mid-inning in the final game of the campaign.
On Feb. 17, Kavan was named SEC Pitcher of the Week, and on March 25 was announced the Division I Softball Pitcher of the Week. She was a vital weapon against the Tigers and Texas played her as such.
Kavan silenced the strongest of the Tigers’ hitters. Senior third baseman Kara Daly notched a home run in the seventh inning of the second game, taking infielders senior Julia Crenshaw and junior Kayley Lenger home with her. Walker was the only player to get a homerun in the final game, making her the only scorer. These were the only home runs the entire weekend.
Over the course of the weekend, the Tigers had some hits off of Kavan and other pitchers, but deciding when to swing was a repeated weakness from Missouri’s offense. The Tigers remained at home to face Southern Illinois on April 9 at 6 p.m. at the Mizzou Softball Stadium where they lost 5-3.
Edited by Colin Simmons l csimmons@themaneater.com
Copy edited by Stella Spragg and Natalie Kientzy | nkientzy@themaneater.com
Edited by Annie Goodykoontz | agoodykoontz@themaneater.com