No. 18 Missouri softball traveled to Fayetteville, Arkansas, to face No. 8 Arkansas. The Tigers relied heavily on the longball to get the win, beating the Razorbacks 6-3 in Game 1 of an SEC series. Six of Missouri’s 11 hits went for extra bases.
The hosts raced to a fast start with a three-run home run from redshirt junior infielder Danielle Gibson, the only time in which the Razorbacks crossed home plate. Missouri’s sophomore pitching duo of Jordan Weber and Emma Nichols held Arkansas to just two hits overall.
Missouri tied the game in the third inning after a double from freshman Alex Honnold, a walk to senior Brooke Wilmes and a single from freshman Jenna Laird before redshirt junior Casidy Chaumont hit a two-run single.
Chaumont went 3-4, with two RBIs coming off a double and a triple.
The Tigers took the lead in the fourth inning with redshirt junior Kendyll Bailey’s solo-shot over the left field wall, her fifth home run of the year, which gave Missouri its first lead of the afternoon.
Missouri added two insurance runs in the final two innings. Senior Imani Myint scored off of a single from Honnold to make it 5-3. Two doubles in the seventh from senior Kimberly Wert and junior Emma Raabe scored the sixth and final run.
The win gives Missouri a 33-10 record (11-5 in SEC). The Tigers sit in third place in the SEC, passing No. 5 Alabama with the Game 1 win.
The Tigers play Games 2 and 3 in Fayetteville on Sunday and Monday. They host another SEC series next weekend against No. 3 Florida in Columbia.
Edited by Kyle Pinnell | kpinnell@themaneater.com