Jenna Laird had two hits and was on base three times in Mizzou’s loss to Auburn on Sunday. (Photo: Terrance Williams)
| NCAA Softball | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #25 Auburn (13-4-1, 1-2) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 10 | 0 |
| #12 Mizzou (20-3, 2-1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
WP: Maddie Penta – AUB (7-3) LP: Laurin Krings – MIZ (8-3)
Paige Dale
Staff Writer
COLUMBIA, MO — The No. 12-ranked University of Missouri softball team had its seven-game winning streak snapped and lost the final game of its series against No. 25 Auburn, 4-0, Sunday afternoon at the Mizzou Softball Stadium.
The home team Tigers are now 20-3 overall and 2-1 in SEC play, while the visiting Tigers improved their record to 13-4-1 overall and 2-1 in the conference.
Auburn utilized a strong pitching performance from Maddie Penta, and a pair of home runs off the bat of Amelia Lech to take the series finale.
The two squads were able to put runners in scoring position, Auburn in the first and Mizzou in the second, but were unable to capitalize early on. Then, the visitors struck first in the third, as a one-out RBI triple from Makayla Packer brought home the game’s first run.
In the fourth, Auburn tallied another run onto their lead, as Leach led off the inning with a solo home run.
After a Jenna Laird single in the third inning, Penta retired eight straight Mizzou batters, keeping the Auburn edge at 2-0 heading into the sixth.
In the top half of the sixth, Lech launched her second round tripper of the afternoon, this time a two-run shot, extending the Auburn lead to 4-0.
Missouri got a runner on base in the bottom half of the sixth as Laird was hit by a pitch, but could not take advantage.
Mizzou then put together a two-out effort in the seventh, with Katie Chester drawing a walk, and Mya Dodge connecting on a pinch-hit single, before Auburn closed out their win, 4-0.
The Tigers will be on the road all of next week. First, they’ll play a doubleheader on Wednesday, March 13, against rival Illinois.
Then, next weekend, Mizzou will be in Knoxville to play a three-game set against No. 8 Tennessee.
SCORING SUMMARY
| Logo | Team | Inning | Play Description | AUB | MIZ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | AUB | 3rd | M. Packer tripled to left field, RBI (3-1); A. Smith scored, unearned. | 1 | 0 |
| AUB | 4th | A. Lech homered to left field, RBI (2-2). | 2 | 0 |
| AUB | 6th | A. Lech homered to left field, 2 RBI (1-2); A. Widra scored. | 4 | 0 |
MISSOURI TIGERS 2024 WOMEN’S SOFTBALL SCHEDULE
| Date | Time | At | Opponent | Location | TV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 13, 2024 (Wednesday) | 1 p.m. | Away | Illinois | Urbana-Champaign, Ill. | |
| March 13, 2024 (Wednesday) | 3:30 p.m. | Away | Illinois | Urbana-Champaign, Ill. | |
| March 15, 2024 (Friday) | 5 p.m. | Away | 5 Tennessee | Knoxville, Tenn. | |
| March 16, 2024 (Saturday) | 1 p.m. | Away | 5 Tennessee | Knoxville, Tenn. | |
| March 17, 2024 (Sunday) | 12:30 p.m. | Away | 5 Tennessee | Knoxville, Tenn. | |
| March 20, 2024 (Wednesday) | 5 p.m. | Away | Kansas | Lawrence, Kan. | |
| March 22, 2024 (Friday) | 5 p.m. | Home | 14 LSU | Mizzou Softball Stadium |  |
| March 23, 2024 (Saturday) | 2 p.m. | Home | 14 LSU | Mizzou Softball Stadium | |
| March 24, 2024 (Sunday) | 1 p.m. | Home | 14 LSU | Mizzou Softball Stadium | |
| March 26, 2024 (Tuesday) | 1 p.m. | Neutral | Fordham | Hempstead, N.Y. | |
| March 26, 2024 (Tuesday) | 3:30 p.m. | Away | Hofstra | Hempstead, N.Y. | |
| March 28, 2024 (Thursday) | 3 p.m. | Away | George Mason | Fairfax, Va. | |
| March 30, 2024 (Saturday) | 9 a.m. | Away | Villanova | Villanova, Pa. | |
| April 3, 2024 (Wednesday) | 4 p.m. | Home | Southeast Missouri | Mizzou Softball Stadium | |
| April 3, 2024 (Wednesday) | 6:30 p.m. | Home | Southeast Missouri | Mizzou Softball Stadium | |
| April 5, 2024 (Friday) | 5 p.m. | Away | 16 Arkansas | Fayetteville, Ark. |  |
| April 6, 2024 (Saturday) | Noon | Away | 16 Arkansas | Fayetteville, Ark. | |
| April 7, 2024 (Sunday) | 2 p.m. | Away | 16 Arkansas | Fayetteville, Ark. | |
| April 10, 2024 (Wednesday) | 4 p.m. | Away | Drake | Des Moines, Iowa | |
| April 12, 2024 (Friday) | 5 p.m. | Home | 17 Florida | Mizzou Softball Stadium | |
| April 13, 2024 (Saturday) | 12:30 p.m. | Home | 17 Florida | Mizzou Softball Stadium | |
| April 14, 2024 (Sunday) | 2 p.m. | Home | 17 Florida | Mizzou Softball Stadium | |
| April 17, 2024 (Wednesday) | 5 p.m. | Home | SIU-Edwardsville | Mizzou Softball Stadium | |
| April 19, 2024 (Friday) | 5 p.m. | Away | 6 Georgia | Athens, Ga. | |
| April 20, 2024 (Saturday) | 1 p.m. | Away | 6 Georgia | Athens, Ga. | |
| April 21, 2024 (Sunday) | 1 p.m. | Away | 6 Georgia | Athens, Ga. | |
| April 27, 2024 (Saturday) | 8 p.m. | Home | Mississippi State | Mizzou Softball Stadium | |
| April 28, 2024 (Sunday) | 5 p.m. | Home | Mississippi State | Mizzou Softball Stadium | |
| April 29, 2024 (Monday) | 6 p.m. | Home | Mississippi State | Mizzou Softball Stadium | |
| May 3, 2024 (Friday) | 5 p.m. | Away | 23 South Carolina | Columbia, S.C. | |
| May 4, 2024 (Saturday) | 5 p.m. | Away | 23 South Carolina | Columbia, S.C. | |
| May 5, 2024 (Sunday) | 2 p.m. | Away | 23 South Carolina | Columbia, S.C. | |
| May 7, 2024 (Tuesday) | TBA | Neutral | SEC Tournament | Auburn, Ala. |