Mizzou softball needs every win it can get at this point in the season, as NCAA softball rules state a team needs to be above .500 to be eligible for postseason play. This series against Arkansas was one Mizzou badly needed to win.
Game one – Arkansas 4, Mizzou 0
The Tigers got some traffic early on. After back-to-back outs, freshman Abby Carr hit a two-out single, followed by another single from junior Abby Hay. The opportunity was squandered when freshman Sidney Forrester struck out to end their half of the inning.
Junior Marissa McCann got the ball on the mound after her perfect game Wednesday, and she had very different results. In the first inning, the Razorbacks’ offense jumped on McCann early. Senior Reagan Johnson walked to lead off the inning, followed by another walk from freshman Brinli Bain. Sophomore Ella McDowell singled to drive in the game’s first run. Senior Tianna Bell hit another single to load the bases. The Razorbacks hit back-to-back sacrifice flies, making the score 3-0 after the first.
In the bottom of the fourth, the Razorbacks had more traffic on the bases. Senior Kailey Wyckoff led off the inning with a single. After a flyout, junior Kennedy Miller singled back up the middle. This was followed by a walk from freshman Ashtyn Reichardt to load the bases. After the walk, senior Courtney Donahue came in relief. Donahue performed well in damage control, only allowing one run on an RBI groundout.
Game two – Arkansas 9, Mizzou 2
The Tigers’ offense got some more contributions in this game. Freshman Addy Waits led the game off with a walk and advanced to second on a groundout. Carr came up with two outs and knocked in the game’s first run with a single.
Senior Cierra Harrison got the start and pitched well. She ran into trouble for the first time in the fifth inning. After a leadoff single from senior Karlie Davison, she advanced on a sacrifice bunt from Miller. Harrison got sophomore Ramsey Walker to pop out. The Razorbacks got two-out magic from their offense — Johnson drove in Davison on a single, making the score 2-0. Carr came in relief and struggled to get the final out. After a wild pitch, Bain drove in Johnson on a single. Bain was then pinch-run for by junior Kasey Wood. Carr walked the next batter, putting two on with Bell up to bat. Bell hit a two-run double into the gap to extend the lead to three.
Carr was the leadoff hitter in the top of the sixth and helped her cause, hitting a home run and cutting the deficit to two. Unfortunately for the Tigers, the rest of the offense went down quietly.
The bottom of the sixth brought more trouble for the Tigers’ pitching. After back-to-back walks, Donahue came in relief and failed to record an out. Donahue walked the first batter she faced, loading the bases with no outs. Johnson walked in a run, Bain drove in a run on a single and McDowell hit a two-run RBI single to bring the lead to six. Sophomore Rylee Michalak relieved Donahue, giving up one run on an RBI groundout.
Game three – Mizzou 3, Arkansas 1
McCann got the ball for game three and pitched well in a must-win game for the Tigers.
The Razorbacks got their lone run in the first inning from back-to-back doubles from Bain and McDowell.
Harrison came out of the bullpen and shut down the Razorbacks. She went 4.2 innings, only allowing three hits, no walks and three strikeouts.
The Tigers’ offense came to life in the fourth inning. Junior Stefania Abruscato was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning. Hay followed with a single up the middle. Forrester then went ¡Plakata! to give the Tigers the lead. This was Forrester’s first home run since March 18 and her 10th of the year.
The Tigers play again at Mizzou Softball Stadium April 28 against the University of Missouri-Kansas City.
