Mizzou freshman Abby Hay had four total hits, including her second home run of the season, for the Tigers on Saturday. (Photo: Thomas Grove)
Paige Dale
Staff Writer
ATHENS, GA — After hanging on to win the series opener on Friday, the University of Missouri softball team lost both games of a doubleheader on Saturday to No. 9 Georgia. The final score in both games was 4-2.
In fact, the final score in all three games was 4-2, with Georgia winning the series two games to one.
Game 1: No. 9 Georgia 4, No. 13 Missouri 2
| NCAA Softball | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #13 Missouri | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 0 |
| #9 Georgia | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | X | 4 | 7 | 1 |
WP:Shelby Walters – UGA (8-4) LP: Cierra Harrison – MIZ (12-3) SV: Lilli Backes – UGA (6)
Georgia jumped on top with a two-run double in the bottom of the second. Missouri answered in the fourth, when Abby Hay led off with a double, then moved to third on fly ball out off the bat of Stefania Abruscato.
Kara Daly came up and drilled a shot to right that was caught, but Hay was able to score to get the Tigers on the board.
Georgia responded with a two-run homer off the bat of Sydney Chambley to go ahead 4-1.
Hay got a run back with a single that scored Alex Honnold in the sixth, but that was as close as Mizzou would get in a convincing Georgia win.
Game 2: No. 9 Georgia 4, No. 13 Missouri 2
| NCAA Softball | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #13 Missouri | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 3 |
| #9 Georgia | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | X | 4 | 3 | 1 |
WP: Lilli Backes -UGA (14-5) LP: Marissa McCann – MIZ (7-3)
The Lady Bulldogs jumped on top early again in Game 2. They scored a run to take a 1-0 lead.
But Missouri answered with a pair of solo homers to take the lead themselves.
Daly got things going with her sixth homer in the top of the second. Then Hay smacked her second homer of the season to lead off the third and put the Tigers up 2-1.
Georgia came back with three runs in the bottom of the second to re-take the lead and was able to hold on the rest of the way, even though Mizzou got runners on in every inning the rest of the way.
In fact, the Tigers loaded the bases twice in the final innings, but were never able to get any more runs across the plate.
The two losses dropped Mizzou’s overall record to 35-13 and its SEC mark to 8-10. Georgia improved to 36-11 and 10-8.
The Tigers will be back in action next weekend, when they’ll host No. 25 Mississippi State in a series in Columbia. The teams will play on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, with all three games from the Mizzou Softball Stadium being televised nationally on the SEC Network.
MISSOURI TIGERS 2024 WOMEN’S SOFTBALL SCHEDULE
| Date | Time | At | Opponent | Location | TV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 27, 2024 (Saturday) | 8 p.m. | Home | #25 Mississippi State | Mizzou Softball Stadium |  |
| April 28, 2024 (Sunday) | 5 p.m. | Home | #25 Mississippi State | Mizzou Softball Stadium | |
| April 29, 2024 (Monday) | 6 p.m. | Home | #25 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. |