Abby Hay celebrates hitting the game-winning home run in Mizzou’s win over Kansas on Wednesday. (Photo: Terrance Williams)
| NCAA Softball | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mizzou (23-22) | 0 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 11 | 0 |
| Kansas (29-13) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 11 | 2 |
WP: Abby Carr – MIZ (5-3) LP: Chloe Barber – KU (8-4)
LAWRENCE, KS — Abby Hay launched a two-run, opposite-field home run in the top of the seventh inning to lift the University of Missouri women’s softball team to a 4-2 win over archrival Kansas, Wednesday evening at Arrocha Ballpark.
Kansas had just tied the game with two runs in the bottom of the sixth. But in the seventh, Missouri’s Abby Carr drew a one-out walk — her third of the game — and Hay, who had three hits in the game, blasted a 3-1 drop ball deep over the right field wall to put the Tigers back ahead.
Carr, who began the game as Mizzou’s designated hitter, came in to pitch relief in the sixth and gave up the two-run triple that allowed Kansas to tie the game. But in the bottom of the seventh, the freshman from Wildwood, Mo. and Lafayette High School, shut the Jayhawks down to close out the victory.
“Just another terrific effort and tough battle by this team,” Mizzou head coach Larissa Anderson said. “We talked about being more aggressive and going after it more. Today, these girls got after it the whole game and we got ourselves a nice victory.”
The Tigers were aggressive from the start and grabbed a pair of runs in the first two innings. Freshman Sidney Forrester drove in the first run, with an RBI hit in the top of the first. Then in the second, junior Stefania Abruscato drove in a run with a sacrifice fly to make the score 2-0.
Junior pitcher Marissa McCann made that lead stand through five innings, as she allowed kept Kansas off the board by allowing just two hits. But in the sixth, the Jayhawks began the inning with a pair of hits to put runners in scoring position.
That’s when Anderson took McCann out and brought Carr in to pitch. Carr got two outs, but gave up a two-run triple to Kansas’ Anna Soles, which tied the game at 2.
The Jayhawks had a chance to take the lead, but Carr struck out Kansas’ top hitter, junior Campbell Bagshaw, to get the final out of the inning.
That set up the dramatic seventh, where the two Abbys helped give Mizzou back the lead.
“They’re just so clutch,” Anderson said. “We ask those guys to do so much and to come through for us all the time, and they did it again today.”
The Missouri Tigers celebrate defeating archrival Kansas, 4-2, on Wednesday. (Photo: Terrance Williams)
Carr got the win and is now 5-3 on the season. Reliever Chloe Barber took the loss for Kansas.
The victory lifted Mizzou’s season record to 23-22, while Kansas fell to 23-16. The win was especially important for Mizzou, which needs to be over the .500 mark to qualify for the NCAA Tournament.
Most experts believe the Tigers would earn an at-large bid into the tournament, if they are eligible. So Mizzou needs to rack up as many wins as it can in the final three weeks of the season.
The Tigers have 10 games left and will begin its hopeful march into the postseason with a home series against SEC foe South Carolina this weekend.
Mizzou and the No. 25-ranked Gamecocks will play three games — one each on Friday (6 p.m.), Saturday (5 p.m.), and Sunday (1 p.m.) — with the Friday and Sunday games being streamed live on SEC Network+, and Saturday’s contest being broadcast nationally on the SEC Network.
2026 MISSOURI TIGERS SOFTBALL SCHEDULE
| Date | Time | At | Opponent | Location | Tournament | Broadcast | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 6 (Fri) | 9 a.m. | Neutral | Penn State | Clearwater, FL | NFCA Division I Leadoff Classic | L, 4-7 (0-1) | |
| Feb 6 (Fri) | 12 p.m. | Neutral | #5 Oregon | Clearwater, FL | NFCA Division I Leadoff Classic | L, 0-3 (0-2) | |
| Feb 7 (Sat) | 12 p.m. | Neutral | #23 Liberty | Clearwater, FL | NFCA Division I Leadoff Classic |  | W, 13-2 (1-2) |
| Feb 7 (Sat) | 5 p.m. | Neutral | BYU | Clearwater, FL | NFCA Division I Leadoff Classic | W, 9-6 (2-2) | |
| Feb 8 (Sun) | 12 p.m. | Neutral | South Alabama | Clearwater, FL | NFCA Division I Leadoff Classic | | L, 4-5 (2-3) |
| Feb 11 (Wed) | 5 p.m. | Away | Central Florida | Orlando, FL |  | L, 1-5 (2-4) | |
| Feb 13 (Fri) | 11:30 a.m. | Neutral | NC State | Clearwater, FL | Shriners Children’s Clearwater Invitational |  | L, 7-13 (2-5) |
| Feb 13 (Fri) | 5 p.m. | Neutral | #7 UCLA | Clearwater, FL | Shriners Children’s Clearwater Invitational | | L, 5-6 (2-6) |
| Feb 14 (Sat) | 9 a.m. | Neutral | Northwestern | Clearwater, FL | Shriners Children’s Clearwater Invitational | | L, 0-3 (2-7) |
| Feb 14 (Sat) | 2 p.m. | Neutral | #23 Florida Atlantic | Clearwater, FL | Shriners Children’s Clearwater Invitational | | W, 2-0 (3-7) |
| Feb 15 (Sun) | 8 a.m. | Neutral | #22 Duke | Clearwater, FL | Shriners Children’s Clearwater Invitational | | W, 5-4 (4-7) |
| Feb 20 (Fri) | 1 p.m. | Neutral | Houston | Lake Charles, LA | Cajun AC Louisiana Clash | L, 3-4 (4-8) | |
| Feb 20 (Fri) | 6 p.m. | Away | McNeese State | Lake Charles, LA | Cajun AC Louisiana Clash | | L, 3-5 (4-9) |
| Feb 21 (Sat) | 1:30 p.m. | Neutral | Houston | Lake Charles, LA | Cajun AC Louisiana Clash | W, 8-2 (5-9) | |
| Feb 21 (Sat) | 4 p.m. | Away | McNeese State | Lake Charles, LA | Cajun AC Louisiana Clash | | L, 1-4 (5-10) |
| Feb 22 (Sun) | 11 a.m. | Neutral | Louisiana | Lake Charles, LA | Cajun AC Louisiana Clash | L, 1-9 (5-11) | |
| Feb 27 (Fri) | 3 p.m. | Home | Wichita State | Mizzou Softball Stadium | Mizzou Invitational |  | W, 12-4 (6-11) |
| Feb 27 (Fri) | 5:30 p.m. | Home | Miami (Ohio) | Mizzou Softball Stadium | Mizzou Invitational | | L, 1-5 (6-12) |
| Feb 28 (Sat) | 3 p.m. | Home | Drake | Mizzou Softball Stadium | Mizzou Invitational | | W, 10-2 (7-12) |
| Feb 28 (Sat) | 5:30 p.m. | Home | Miami (Ohio) | Mizzou Softball Stadium | Mizzou Invitational | | L, 2-8 (7-13) |
| Mar 7 (Sat) | 12 p.m. | Away | #5 Florida | Gainesville, FL | | L, 4-5 (7-14) | |
| Mar 8 (Sun) | 3 p.m. | Away | #5 Florida | Gainesville, FL |  | L, 3-4 (7-15) | |
| Mar 9 (Mon) | 6 p.m. | Away | #5 Florida | Gainesville, FL | | L, 2-5 (7-16) | |
| Mar 11 (Wed) | 3:30 p.m. | Home | Tenn-Martin | Mizzou Softball Stadium | | W, 8-0 (8-16) | |
| Mar 13 (Fri) | 5 p.m. | Home | Minnesota | Mizzou Softball Stadium | Mizzou Bye-Week Series | | W, 8-1 (9-16) |
| Mar 13 (Fri) | 7:30 p.m. | Home | South Dakota | Mizzou Softball Stadium | Mizzou Bye-Week Series | | W, 9-4 (10-16) |
| Mar 14 (Sat) | 2:30 p.m. | Home | South Dakota | Mizzou Softball Stadium | Mizzou Bye-Week Series | | W, 9-0 (11-16) |
| Mar 14 (Sat) | 5 p.m. | Home | Iowa State | Mizzou Softball Stadium | Mizzou Bye-Week Series | | W, 6-4 (12-16) |
| Mar 18 (Wed) | 1 p.m. | Away | Illinois | Champaign, IL |  | W, 3-0 (13-16) | |
| Mar 18 (Wed) | 3 p.m. | Away | Illinois | Champaign, IL | | W, 9-4 (14-16) | |
| Mar 20 (Fri) | 5 p.m. | Home | #6 Alabama | Mizzou Softball Stadium | | L, 1-2 (14-17) | |
| Mar 21 (Sat) | 2 p.m. | Home | #6 Alabama | Mizzou Softball Stadium | | W, 5-2 (15-17) | |
| Mar 22 (Sun) | 12 p.m. | Home | #6 Alabama | Mizzou Softball Stadium | | L, 3-4 (15-18) | |
| Mar 24 (Tue) | 5 p.m. | Away | SIUE | Edwardsville, IL | | W, 8-0 (16-18) | |
| Mar 27 (Fri) | 6 p.m. | Away | #20 Auburn | Auburn, AL | | W, 3-0 (17-18) | |
| Mar 28 (Sat) | 2 p.m. | Away | #20 Auburn | Auburn, AL | | W, 6-3 (18-18) | |
| Mar 29 (Sun) | 1 p.m. | Away | #20 Auburn | Auburn, AL | | W, 6-4 (19-18) | |
| Mar 31 (Tue) | 5 p.m. | Away | Missouri State | Springfield, MO | W, 8-5 (20-18) | ||
| Apr 2 (Thu) | 6 p.m. | Home | #22 LSU | Mizzou Softball Stadium | | L, 9-1 (20-19) | |
| Apr 3 (Fri) | 3 p.m. | Home | #22 LSU | Mizzou Softball Stadium | | L, 16-4 (20-20) | |
| Apr 4 (Sat) | 2:30 p.m. | Home | #22 LSU | Mizzou Softball Stadium | | W, 1-0 (21-20) | |
| Apr 10 (Fri) | 5 p.m. | Away | #11 Georgia | Athens, GA | | L, 8-0 (21-21) | |
| Apr 11 (Sat) | 1 p.m. | Away | #11 Georgia | Athens, GA | | W, 4-3 (22-21) | |
| Apr 12 (Sun) | 1 p.m. | Away | #11 Georgia | Athens, GA | | L, 4-0 (22-22) | |
| Apr 15 (Wed) | 5 p.m. | Away | Kansas | Lawrence, KS | | W 4-2 (23-22) | |
| Apr 17 (Fri) | 6 p.m. | Home | #25 South Carolina | Mizzou Softball Stadium | | ||
| Apr 18 (Sat) | 5 p.m. | Home | #25 South Carolina | Mizzou Softball Stadium | | ||
| Apr 19 (Sun) | 1 p.m. | Home | #25 South Carolina | Mizzou Softball Stadium | | ||
| Apr 24 (Fri) | 5 p.m. | Away | #6 Arkansas | Fayetteville, AR | | ||
| Apr 25 (Sat) | 11 a.m. | Away | #6 Arkansas | Fayetteville, AR | | ||
| Apr 26 (Sun) | 1 p.m. | Away | #6 Arkansas | Fayetteville, AR | | ||
| Apr 28 (Tue) | 5 p.m. | Home | Kansas City | Mizzou Softball Stadium | | ||
| Apr 30 (Thu) | 6 p.m. | Home | #8 Tennessee | Mizzou Softball Stadium | | ||
| May 1 (Fri) | 6 p.m. | Home | #8 Tennessee | Mizzou Softball Stadium | | ||
| May 2 (Sat) | 12 p.m. | Home | #8 Tennessee | Mizzou Softball Stadium | | ||
| May 5-9 | TBD | Neutral | TBD | Lexington, KY | SEC Softball Tournament | |
What a great win for the Tigers!!! Abby Hay come through big time!