The Mizzou Tigers celebrate with Mya Dodge after her home run gave the Tigers the lead in Thursday’s game against Georgia. (Photo: Terrance Williams)
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#24 Georgia
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Mizzou
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WP: Marissa McCann – MIZ (10-11) LP: Lilli Backes – UGA (13-8) SV: Taylor Pannell – MIZ (2)
Paige Dale Staff Writer
COLUMBIA, MO — Trailing by a run in the bottom of the sixth inning, the Missouri Tigers got a pair of back-to-back home runs from Mya Dodge and Abbie Wilhelm to rally for a 4-2 win over No. 24-ranked Georgia, in an SEC women’s softball game Thursday night at the Mizzou Softball Stadium.
With the win, Missouri improved to 24-29 on the season and 5-17 in Southeastern Conference play. Georgia fell to 29-18 overall and 6-15 in league competition.
Mizzou’s win on Thursday was the Tigers’ eighth such win this season over a Top 25 team.
The Missouri Tigers celebrate Thursday’s comeback victory over No. 24 Georgia. (Photo: Terrance Williams)
The big blow came with two outs in the bottom of the sixth, when Dodge came to the plate to pinch hit for Kayley Lenger, with Danielle Blackstun on third, after coming in to pinch run for Taylor Ebbs, who had drawn a walk to lead off the inning.
On a 2-0 pitch, Dodge blasted a change-up from Georgia starter Lilli Backes over the right-centerfield wall for a two-run homer that gave Mizzou a 3-2 lead.
Then Wilhelm, who was making just her second start of the season, launched a 2-2 pitch off Backes into almost the same spot Dodge did, for a solo blast that put the Tigers up 4-2. It was Wilhelm’s first hit and first home run as a college player.
Dodge’s home run was her second this season and seventh in her two seasons as a member of the Tigers.
Junior Taylor Pannell came in to pitch a scoreless seventh to get the save. It was her second save this season and 23rd of her career, making Pannell the NCAA Division I active career saves leader with 23.
Sophomore Marissa McCann (10-11) got the win. She went six innings and gave up just the two runs on six hits, with no walks, and a career-best seven strikeouts.
It was McCann’s first win since a relief appearance against Texas A&M on April 18 and her first win in a start since a 12-8 victory for the Tigers over Mississippi State on April 12.
Mizzou’s Marissa McCann got the win in the circle on Thursday, after pitching six innings and allowing just two runs on six hits with a career-best seven strikeouts. (Photo: Terrance Williams)
Missouri scored its first run in the first inning, when the Tigers loaded the bases against Backes with one out. Kara Daly came to the plate and lifted a sacrifice fly to center that scored Stefania Abruscato and made the score 1-0.
Georgia got its runs and took the lead on a pair of solo homers by Lynda Rae Davis in the second inning and Jaydyn Goodwin in the sixth.
That looked like it might be enough with Backes holding the Tigers hitless after the first inning. But Dodge and Wilhelm came through with a pair of blasts of their own that helped Mizzou rally back for the win.
“I was just excited to come through for my teammates,” Dodge told SEC Network in an interview after the game. “Backes is a really good pitcher and we weren’t getting many good looks. So I was very glad to be the one to finally get a good pitch and to do something with it.”
Mizzou and Georgia will play Game 2 of their series on Friday. First pitch at Mizzou Softball Stadium is set for 5 p.m.
