Mizzou’s Maddie Gallagher smashes an RBI single in the Tigers’ win over SIUE on Wednesday. (Photo: Terrance Williams)
| NCAA Softball | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SIUE (14-27) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| #13 Missouri (34-11) | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | X | 4 | 6 | 0 |
WP: Lilly Whitten – MIZ (5-0) LP: Sydney Baalman – SIUE (3-12) SV: Taylor Pannell – MIZ (9)
Paige Dale
Staff Writer
COLUMBIA, MO — The University of Missouri softball team finished off its midweek play for the season with a 4-1 win over SIU-Edwardsville, Wednesday evening at the Mizzou Softball Stadium.
The No. 13-ranked Tigers got RBI hits from Maddie Gallagher and Stefania Abruscato, and a two-run homer from Kayley Lenger to power its offense in the win.
Redshirt freshman pitcher Lilly Whitten (5-0) tossed six strong innings to get the win. She only allowed one run on two hits, with one walk, and six strikeouts. It was Whitten’s third start of the season and fifth straight appearance where she allowed one run or less.
Sophomore closer Taylor Pannell came in and pitched a scoreless seventh inning to get the save. The lefty from Lee’s Summit got three quick outs in her appearance and now has an SEC-best and NCAA-leading nine saves on the year.
Missouri got its runs in fairly efficient fashion. Jenna Laird led off the bottom of the first with a single and then stole second.
She was still there with one out, when Gallagher line a single up the middle to bring Laird home and give Mizzou a 1-0 lead.
SIUE tied the score in the second, on an RBI double by Kaylynn Salyars. But Mizzou responded in the bottom half, when Lenger launched a two-run shot over the left field wall to put the Tigers up 3-1.
The score stayed that way until the bottom of the sixth, when Abby Hay lined a two-out single up the middle. Claire Cahalan pinch ran for Hay and scored on the next pitch, when Abruscato — the current SEC Freshman of the Week — drilled a single to right. Cahalan was running on the pitch, so she had a head start and scored all the way from first on the play.
Mizzou’s pitching really shut down SIUE throughout the game. The Cougars only had two hits total and only one hit after Salyars double in the second.
The win lifted Missouri’s record to 34-11, while SIUE fell to 14-26.
The Tigers will be back in action this weekend, when they’ll host No. 9 Georgia in a three-game set in Athens.
Mizzou and Georgia will play single games on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, with Saturday’s game scheduled to be televised nationally on the SEC Network.
The series will begin on Friday, with first pitch scheduled for 5 p.m.
SCORING SUMMARY
| Logo | Team | Inning | Play Description | SIUE | MIZ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | MIZ | 1st | Gallagher singled to center field, RBI (1-1); Laird scored. | 0 | 1 |
 | SIUE | 2nd | SALYARS, K. doubled, RBI (0-2); YSLAVA, L. scored. | 1 | 1 |
| MIZ | 2nd | Lenger (2) homered to left field, 2 RBI (2-2); Abruscato scored. | 1 | 3 |
| MIZ | 6th | Abruscato singled to right field, RBI (0-0); Cahalan scored. | 1 | 4 |
MISSOURI TIGERS 2024 WOMEN’S SOFTBALL SCHEDULE
| Date | Time | At | Opponent | Location | TV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 19, 2024 (Friday) | 5 p.m. | Away | 9 Georgia | Athens, Ga. |  |
| April 20, 2024 (Saturday) | 1 p.m. | Away | 9 Georgia | Athens, Ga. |  |
| April 21, 2024 (Sunday) | 1 p.m. | Away | 9 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. |