Mizzou fires on all cylinders to take down Cougars
COLUMBIA, Mo. - Thanks to a seven-run first inning, the University of Missouri softball team (30-20) wrapped regular-season midweek play undefeated after an 8-1 victory over SIUE (20-24) Tuesday evening at the Mizzou Softball Stadium.
With the win, Missouri improved to 8-0 in midweek games at home (9-0 in 2023) this season. The Tigers are currently on a five-game winning streak.
Centerfielder Alex Honnold paced the Tigers at the dish, going 2-for-3 with four RBI while designated player Megan Moll added a career-best 2-for-2 outing with three RBI and two runs.
Missouri wasted no time getting on the board, as Honnold launched a two-run homer to deep right field off a 2-2 pitch in the bottom of the first.
With the bases loaded, Moll then drove a two-run single to center to plate Kara Daly (walk) and Maddie Gallagher (hit by pitch) who both received free passes.
The Tigers added a fifth run on a RBI bases loaded hit by pitch for Jenna Laird.
Honnold then capped the frame with a two RBI base hit to push the lead to 7-0.
Mizzou recorded seven runs on three hits in an inning that also featured three walks and three hit batsmen.
The Cougars would tack on a run in the top of the third on a Hayley Palm RBI single before Moll blasted her second dinger of the season in the bottom half of the frame to make the score 8-1.
Right-handed freshman pitcher Cierra Harrison started in the circle for the Tigers, allowing one run on four hits with three strikeouts over 3.0 innings. Reliever Megan Schumacher earned the win for Missouri while compiling six strikeouts over the final four innings (no runs on two hits).
GAME NOTES
- Alex Honnold extended her reach-base streak to 14 games, going 2-for-4 with a home run, four RBI, and a walk. She has posted a hit in each of the last three games.
- Maddie Gallagher extended her reached-base streak to 13, with a hit by pitch in the first inning.
- Megan Moll recorded her second home run of the season in the fourth inning. Her three RBIs in the contest matched a career-best (Feb. 17, 2023, vs. Butler).
- Megan Moll compiled her third multi-RBI game of the campaign and second two-hit game of the season (third in her career).
- Megan Moll has now recorded two home runs in three of her four seasons in her career as a Tiger.
- With four RBIs, Alex Honnold logged her third game of the season with four or more RBIs. She now has nine multi-RBI games and 17 multi-hit games in 2023.
- Julia Crenshaw tallied her 13th multi-hit game of the season, going 2-for-4 with a double.
- With a Chantice Phillips walk in the fourth inning, every Tigers starter reached base in the contest.
- Megan Schumacher fanned six in the win, matching a career best. It marked the fourth time in her career that she has achieved the feat.
- Megan Schumacher improved to 3-1 in 2023 (23-8 in her career) after the win.
- The Tigers seven runs in the first inning is their most in a single frame at Mizzou Softball Stadium this year.
- With the win, Missouri improved to 8-0 in regular-season midweek games at home (9-0 in 2023) this season.
- Missouri moved to 6-1 against SIUE while head coach Larissa Anderson improved to 3-0 against the Cougars.
- Mizzou is currently on a five-game win streak, its longest since claiming eight in a row from Feb. 15-23.
Looking Ahead
Following Mizzou's final regular-season midweek, the Tigers will head to College Station, Texas, for a three-game road series with No. 25/24 Texas A&M. Game times for the Friday, Saturday, Sunday series are set for 6 p.m., ET.