Mizzou’s Alex Honnold bats during Friday’s SEC showdown against Florida at the Mizzou Softball Stadium. (Photo: Thomas Grove)
| NCAA Softball | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #9 Florida (34-8, 9-4) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 0 |
| #14 Mizzou (32-10, 6-7) | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | X | 6 | 3 | 1 |
WP: Marissa McCann – MIZ (7-2) LP: Keagan Rothrock -UF (17-6)
Paige Dale
Staff Writer
COLUMBIA, MO — The No. 14-ranked University of Missouri softball team scored four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to rally back and defeat No. 9 Florida, 6-3, in an SEC softball showdown at the Mizzou Softball Stadium.
Missouri only had three hits in the game, but got them all in that decisive sixth inning, which began with the Tigers behind 3-2.
Abby Hay led off with a walk. Stefania Abruscato followed with Mizzou’s first hit of the game, which moved pinch runner Claire Cahalan to third.
Hayley Lenger followed with a single that scored Cahalan and tied the game at 3. Jenna Laird walked to load the bases and was followed by a hit by pitch to Alex Honnold, which gave Mizzou a 4-3 lead.
Maddie Gallagher came up and laced a shot at Florida second baseman Mia Williams, who wasn’t able to field it and could only watch as the ball rolled into centerfield. Lenger and Laird both scored to put the Tigers up 6-3 and send the raucous home crowd into a frenzy.
Marissa McCann, who came into the game to relieve starter Laurin Krings in the fifth inning, retired Florida in the final inning and only gave up one hit. The freshman’s shutout work earned her the win. She is now 7-2 on the season.
Florida ace Keagan Rothrock took the loss. She is now 17-6 this season.
Until Mizzou’s decisive sixth inning rally, Friday’s contest was a bit of a back and forth affair. Florida took the early lead with a run in the top of the first and another in the top of the second.
Missouri responded by scoring two runs without the benefit of a single hit in the bottom of the second.
Julia Crenshaw got hit by a pitch. Abruscato reached on a fielder’s choice play, where Florida tried to get Crenshaw out at second, but she managed to make it to base safely anyway. Mya Dodge walked and Lenger was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to score Crenshaw and get Mizzou its first run.
Laird came up and drilled a shot into the outfield that was caught, but Abruscato scored to tie the game at 2.
Florida re-took the lead with a run in the top of the third and the game stayed that way until Mizzou’s half of the sixth.
The win lifted Missouri’s overall record to 32-10 and improved its SEC mark to 6-7, which puts the Tigers in ninth place in the league standings. Florida is now 34-8 overall and 9-4 in the conference, which is second place behind Tennessee.
The Tigers and Gators will play Game 2 of their three-game series on Saturday. First pitch is set for 12:30 p.m., with the game scheduled to be televised nationally on the SEC Network.
SCORING SUMMARY
| Logo | Team | Inning | Play Description | UF | MIZ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | UF | 1st | Otis singled to right field, RBI (1-2); Wallace scored. | 1 | 0 |
| UF | 2nd | A. Brown homered to center field, RBI (2-0). | 2 | 0 |
 | MIZ | 2nd | Lenger hit by pitch, RBI (0-1); Dodge advanced to second; Abruscato advanced to third; Crenshaw scored. | 2 | 1 |
| MIZ | 2nd | Laird fouled out to lf, SAC, RBI (2-2); Abruscato scored. | 2 | 2 |
| UF | 3rd | Walsh singled to shortstop, RBI (1-1); Otis scored. | 3 | 2 |
| MIZ | 6th | Lenger singled, advanced to second on the throw, RBI (2-2); Blackstun advanced to third; Cahalan scored. | 3 | 3 |
| MIZ | 6th | Honnold hit by pitch, RBI (2-2); Laird advanced to second; Lenger advanced to third; Blackstun scored. | 3 | 4 |
| MIZ | 6th | Gallagher singled to second base, 2 RBI (1-0); Honnold advanced to third; Laird scored; Lenger scored. | 3 | 6 |
MISSOURI TIGERS 2024 WOMEN’S SOFTBALL SCHEDULE
| Date | Time | At | Opponent | Location | TV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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. |