The Missouri Tigers celebrate winning Game 1 of their series against Georgia on Friday. (Photo: Thomas Grove)

NCAA Softball	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
#13 Missouri (35-11)	0	1	0	0	2	1	0	4	6	1
#9 Georgia (34-11)	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	2	6	2

WP: Laurin Krings – MIZ (10-7) LP: Lilli Backes – UGA (13-5) SV: Taylor Pannell – MIZ (10)

Paige Dale
Staff Writer

ATHENS, GA — The No. 13-ranked University of Missouri softball team put together just enough clutch hitting and strong pitching to earn one of its best wins of the season on Friday.

The Tigers were down in the deep south to play No. 9 Georgia and emerged with a 4-2 victory in Game 1 of their series with the host Lady Bulldogs.

With the win, Missouri is now 35-11 on the season, which matches the team’s win total from last season with still three weeks left in the regular season. The Tigers are also 8-8 in SEC play. Those eight wins surpass last year’s total of just seven.

Missouri has now registered 35 wins in five of the last six seasons (2020 COVID-19 shortened season was the only time the Tigers didn’t meet the threshold in that span).

Senior starting pitcher Laurin Krings secured her 50th win as a Tiger, after tossing 5 1/3 innings of quality ball and allowing only two runs on five hits. Krings (10-7) also walked three batters and struck out four.

Mizzou’s offense got going in the top of the second inning, when Abby Hay launched a one-out triple off the glove of Georgia rightfielder Jayda Kearney.

The ball was almost a home run, but also almost an out, as Kearney almost caught it on the fly. But the ball banged off her glove as she banged into the wall. It then rolled away, which allowed Hay, who was hustling from the instant the ball left her bat, to make it to third without a throw.

Freshman Stefania Abruscato then drove Hay in with a ground ball out to give Missouri a 1-0 lead.

The Tigers added to their lead in the fifth inning, when Kayley Lenger led off with a double, then scored a Georgia error after a one-out single by Alex Honnold, who tried to advance to second. Lady Bulldog catcher Lyndi Rae Davis made a wild throw to second, which allowed Lenger to score. Honnold took off and was able to come all the way around and score herself as Davis’ throw sailed into the right field gap.

That wild play put Missouri ahead 3-0.

The Tigers made it 4-0 on a more conventional play in the sixth, when pinch hitter Katie Chester smashed a double that rolled to the left field wall and scored Julia Crenshaw, who began the play at first.

Georgia got on the board with two runs off Krings in the bottom of the sixth, but Mizzou relievers Marissa McCann and Taylor Pannell made sure that’s all the Lady Bulldogs would get, as they closed the door and got the final five outs of the game.

Pannell set Georgia down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the seventh to record her NCAA-leading 10th save of the season.

Honnold and Hay both had two hits and scored a run. Hay also walked in the game and was on base all three times she batted.

The Tigers and Lady Bulldogs, who are now tied for seventh place in the SEC standings, will continue their series on Saturday. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. and the game will be televised nationally on the SEC Network.

SCORING SUMMARY

Logo	Team	Inning	Play Description	MIZ	UGA
	MIZ	2nd	Abruscato grounded out to 2b, RBI (1-1 KB); Hay scored.	1	0
	MIZ	5th	Honnold singled to left field, advanced to second on the throw, scored on the error, unearned (0-0); Lenger scored on a throwing error by c, unearned.	3	0
	MIZ	6th	Chester doubled to left center, RBI (0-1 S); Crenshaw scored.	4	0
	UGA	6th	Kuma singled through the left side, RBI (0-1 K); Goodwin scored.	4	1
	UGA	6th	Goodnight singled through the left side, RBI (1-2 BKS); Gordon advanced to second; Kuma scored.	4	2

MISSOURI TIGERS 2024 WOMEN’S SOFTBALL SCHEDULE

Date	Time	At	Opponent	Location	TV
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.