Missouri softball is looking to pick up a midweek win as they play Wichita State in a doubleheader. The last Missouri-Wichita State matchup was in 2010, with Missouri sweeping the doubleheader. The No. 18 Tigers are 26–10 overall and 5–7 in the Southeastern Conference.
####Game one
Missouri’s defense opened the game strong with two stretching outs by freshman first baseman Rylee Pierce and a strikeout from freshman pitcher Danielle Baumgartner. Missouri stranded two runners in scoring position when junior Chloe Rathburn struck out to end the first inning.
Mizzou started rolling in the bottom of the second when junior Kirsten Mack smacked a two-run shot over the left field fence, opening the floodgates in an 11–0 beat-down.
Still in the second inning, Mizzou’s Taylor Gadbois hit a double to center field and scored two runs. Then, two sac-flies by freshman Regan Nash and senior Sami Fagan began a two-out rally for the Tigers, as Rathburn hit an RBI and senior Emily Crane hit a long shot to center field to score two runners. Missouri finished the frame with a sac-fly by Mack, scoring six runs and claiming a big lead over the Shockers.
After a quick defensive inning, the Tigers continued their scoring spree.
Pierce hit a solo home run to start off the bottom of the third inning, her sixth of the season. With two outs and two on base, Crane stepped up to the plate and hit her 11th team-leading home run over the center field fence. Then, Rathburn hit a ground-rule double that bounced off of a Wichita State’s outfielder before going over the wall. The double turned into a home run, after a two-base error was assessed to that outfielder, and the Tigers scored one more. The umpires eventually ruled the hit a homerun, Rathburn’s 11th of the year.
No runs were scored in the bottom of the fourth inning, and junior relief pitcher Cheyenne Baxter stepped into the circle in the top of the fifth inning. Missouri defense held out, only allowing two hits in the last inning, but no runs.
Missouri ultimately prevailed in five innings.
####Game two
After shutting out the Shockers in game one, Missouri headed out to the field with sophomore Paige Lowary.
After the opening inning, Lowary and the defense retired the Shocker batters in order, a theme that lasted the majority of the day as Mizzou won 9–2.
The Tigers have proved to be fast in the past, and they affirmed it with senior Emily Crane’s single in the second inning that scored a run.
Wichita State scored their first two runs of the evening in the top of the fourth when senior first baseman Casey Williams hit a two-run shot over the right field fence. The next two batters were stopped by the Missouri outfield, however, with impressive catches.
In the top of the sixth inning, defense stayed consistent as Wichita State couldn’t get any more on base or on the scoreboard.
After a walk for Mack in the bottom of the sixth, the bases were loaded and sophomore pinch hitter Morgan Walters stepped up to the plate. She hit a grounder to the shortstop, who threw Rathburn out at home.
A final three outs in the seventh inning by Missouri defense ended the game. Missouri will be back in action this weekend when they play at Kentucky in a three-game series.
_Edited by Alec Lewis | alewis@themaneater.com_