Members of the Missouri Tigers softball team celebrate Wednesday’s win over Drake. (Photo courtesy: Mizzou Photo)
| NCAA Softball | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #14 Missouri (31-10) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 1 |
| Drake (16-17) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 2 |
WP: Cierra Harrison – MIZ (11-2) LP: E. Dighton – UD (2-9) SV: Taylor Pannell – MIZ (7)
Paige Dale
Staff Writer
DES MOINES, IA — The University of Missouri softball team picked up a solid midweek win, Wednesday afternoon, when it defeated Drake University, 6-3, in a non-conference game at Buel Field.
Freshman catcher Stefania Abruscato continued her hot hitting into April, which began at the end of March. She had three hits, including her second home run of the season, to go along with three RBIs and two runs scored.
Mizzou’s leading hitter — in average, total hits, doubles, homers, and RBIs — Alex Honnold had two hits and drove in the first run of the game on an RBI grounder in the second inning.
Abruscato pounced on an inside fastball and launched it over the right-field wall in the fourth to put Mizzou up 2-0. Honnold and Maddie Gallagher drove in runs later in the inning to put the Tigers up 4-0.
That was just the edge Missouri’s pitchers needed to take control of the game.
Starter Cierra Harrison tossed 4 2/3 innings and allowed just four hits and two walks. She did strike out five to get the win and is now 11-2 on the season.
Relievers Lilly Whitten and Taylor Pannell handled the final 2 1/3 innings. Whitten gave up one hit and no runs, and Pannell got her SEC and NCAA-leading seventh save of the season, after going 1 1/3 innings and giving up two hits and two runs.
Drake got on the board in the fifth inning, with an RBI hit that made the score 4-1. The Lady Bulldogs had other runners on and got Harrison into a jam. That’s when the Tigers went to Whitten, who got out of that inning without letting any other runners score.
Mizzou got a pair of insurance runs in the seventh, on a two-run single by Abruscato. That put the Tigers up 6-1.
Missouri will return to conference play this weekend, when it will host No. 9-ranked Florida in a three-game series at the Mizzou Softball Stadium. The Gators are 34-7 on the year and currently hold second place in the SEC with a 9-3 conference mark.
No. 14-ranked Mizzou is 31-10 overall and holds ninth place in the always tough SEC, with a 5-7 league record.
First pitch on Friday is at 5 p.m. Saturday’s game, which will be televised nationally on the SEC Network is slated to begin at 12:30 p.m., while Sunday’s matchup will start at 2 p.m.
SCORING SUMMARY
| Logo | Team | Inning | Play Description | MIZ | DRAKE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | MIZZOU | 2nd | Honnold reached on a fielder’s choice; Laird advanced to second; Abruscato advanced to third, scored on an error by ss, unearned. | 1 | 0 |
| MIZZOU | 4th | Abruscato (2) homered to right field, RBI. | 2 | 0 |
| MIZZOU | 4th | Honnold singled through the right side, RBI; Lenger scored. | 3 | 0 |
| MIZZOU | 4th | Gallagher doubled, RBI; Honnold scored. | 4 | 0 |
 | DRAKE | 5th | M. Rice singled to right center, RBI; H. Lehman scored. | 4 | 1 |
| MIZZOU | 7th | Abruscato singled to left center, 2 RBI; Phillips advanced to second; Blackstun scored; Gallagher scored, unearned. | 6 | 1 |
| DRAKE | 7th | M. Rice homered to right center, 2 RBI; C. Koenig scored. | 6 | 3 |
MISSOURI TIGERS 2024 WOMEN’S SOFTBALL SCHEDULE
| Date | Time | At | Opponent | Location | TV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 12, 2024 (Friday) | 5 p.m. | Home | 9 Florida | Mizzou Softball Stadium |  |
| April 13, 2024 (Saturday) | 12:30 p.m. | Home | 9 Florida | Mizzou Softball Stadium |  |
| April 14, 2024 (Sunday) | 2 p.m. | Home | 9 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. |