Sophomore pitcher Taylor Pannell leads the Missouri Tigers off the field, after their two wins on Saturday. (Photo: Primo Greenway)
Paige Dale
Staff Writer
DENTON, TX — The No. 14-ranked University of Missouri softball team picked up another pair of wins on Saturday and improved its record to 9-0 — the best start to a season Missouri has had since 2020 — when it defeated South Dakota State 7-1 and North Texas 10-0 at Lovelace Stadium on Day 2 of the Tracy Beard College Classic, hosted by North Texas.
The Tigers got brilliant pitching from starters Lily Whitten and Cierra Harrison, as they held the Jackrabbits and Mean Green to just one run in a combined 12 innings pitched.
Whitten, a redshirt freshman from Tunas, Mo., was making her first collegiate start, while Harrison, a sophomore from Lee’s Summit, Mo., was making her fourth start of the season and was coming off pitching a no-hitter the previous day against Texas A&M-Commerce.
No. 14 Mizzou 7, South Dakota State 1
| NCAA Softball | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Dakota State (2-3) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 3 |
| #14 Missouri (8-0) | 0 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | x | 7 | 5 | 0 |
WP: Lily Whitten – MU (1-0) LP: Shannon Lasey – SDSU (1-2)
Mizzou then drew first blood in the game in the bottom of the second, using a fielder’s choice induced by Jenna Laird to bring home Maddie Gallagher and give MU a 1-0 lead.
The Tiger offense kept rolling in the bottom of the third, as the first four batters got on base, including an RBI single from Mya Dodge. Gallagher would bring in another on an RBI groundout, and Dodge would come in to score on an error, as Missouri saw its lead jump to four.
Later in the inning, with two outs and the bases loaded, another Jackrabbit miscue would bring all three Tigers – Kayley Lenger, Stefania Abruscato, and Laird – around to score, widening the gap to seven heading into the fourth.
South Dakota State would get on the board in the top of the fifth, using a single to push one across, but Whitten didn’t crack under pressure with the bases juiced with one out, as she struck out the next two Jackrabbits to preserve the lead.
Whitten in the sixth and Jayci Kruse in the seventh would sit down six of SDSU’s next seven batters, including three strikeouts, to close out the win, 7-1.
No. 14 Mizzou 10, North Texas 0
| NCAA Softball | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #14 Missouri (9-0) | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 10 | 10 | 0 |
| North Texas (3-3) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
WP: Cierra Harrison – MU (4-0) LP: Mackenzie Childers – UNT (1-2)
On the heels of her first career no-hitter, Harrison allowed only two hits while striking out four over six innings Saturday. With the win, she improved to 4-0 in 2024.
The Tigers wasted no time getting on the board in the second game Saturday, scoring three runs in the top of the first inning. Leadoff batter Laird drew a walk, followed by another walk to Alex Honnold. After a pop out, Kara Daly walked to load the bases.
Gallagher then singled to left field, driving in Laird for the game’s first run. Mizzou added two more runs on RBI bases-loaded walks to Abruscato and Lenger, putting the Tigers up 3-0 early.
Mizzou added another run in the second on an RBI groundout by Julia Crenshaw.
Crenshaw then drove in another run courtesy of a sacrifice fly to push the margin to 5-0 in the fourth.
Mizzou then burst the game open with a five-run seventh. Gallagher led off with a base hit before coming home on an RBI double from Abruscato.
Dodge drove in another run with a groundout, and Laird followed with an RBI sacrifice fly.
Crenshaw notched an RBI double to left center before Daly capped the scoring with an RBI single, providing Mizzou a 10-0 lead.
Sophomore pitcher Taylor Pannell wrapped the contest in the seventh, striking out a pair while allowing just one hit.
Mizzou will close out its trip to Texas with another game against North Texas on Sunday.
