The Missouri Tigers’ offense couldn’t get going in a 5-1 loss against the UCF Knights on Wednesday. This marks their fourth loss in six games to start the young season.
Mizzou’s lone run came in the second inning, when freshman third baseman Addy Waits walked in a run. The Tigers only had three more hits after the second inning.
Mizzou starting senior Cierra Harrison pitched a solid game despite obtaining her first loss. Harrison was dominant through the first four innings, not giving up a single baserunner. That changed in the fifth inning, when junior infielder Sierra Humphreys went yard to left-center field. This was followed by a hard-hit single to left field by sophomore utility player Kendall Yarnell, which chased Harrison from the game.
Junior pitcher Marissa McCann entered the game and had a rude awakening as sophomore catcher Beth Damon hit a two-run home run off McCann on the first pitch of her outing. The Knights scored two more runs off a wild pitch and a sacrifice fly from senior infielder Aubrey Evans. The Tigers’ pitching staff failed to record a strikeout on the evening.
This game was an offensive struggle for Mizzou, which couldn’t seem to gain a consistent offensive showing. This is something Tiger softball fans should expect due to the youth of the current roster. Losing their best player and anchor in Julia Crenshaw is not easy to replace. They will continue to look for good at-bats from their returners, including junior Stefania Abruscato, who is going to need to play a big role in the lineup and leadership.
A silver lining for the Tigers is that they extended their errorless game streak to six games. This could be very crucial to their success if they can’t provide run support.
Mizzou will look to right the ship as it returns to Clearwater, Florida, to compete against North Carolina State on Friday at 11:30 a.m.
