After scoring a combined ten runs in the first two games of the three game set, Missouri softball’s bats were ceased in a 4-0 loss to Auburn on Sunday in Columbia. 

The 12th-ranked Tigers were unable to string together consistent offense against the Auburn pitching. Auburn’s starting pitcher Maddie Penta challenged Missouri; she threw four scoreless innings with three strikeouts. 

 Missouri hit many ground balls and routine flies against Penta, with Jenna Laird collecting two of the three hits in the first five innings for Missouri. 

Penta’s shutout start was supported by the Auburn offense who pushed two runs across the plate, scoring one run a piece off Missouri starting pitcher Laurin Krings and reliever Marissa McCann. 

A Makayla Packer triple to left field off Krings in the top half of the third inning broke open the scoring for Auburn.The following stanza, Auburn’s Amelia Lech’s homer off McCann  increased Auburn’s lead to two. 

The first homer wasn’t the end of Lech’s production at the plate. Krings came back into the contest in the top of the sixth inning, and Lech knocked a 1-2 pitch over the left field fence for a two-run homer, putting Auburn up 4-0. 

The first outing of the series for 2023 SEC pitcher of the year Penta wasn’t ideal; she gave up a pair of homers to Kara Daly and Julia Crenshaw Friday. In this game, Penta flipped that script. 

Runs proved hard to come by for Missouri. Maddie Gallagher was the only Missouri runner left in scoring position through the first six innings of the game. Laird’s two singles didn’t prove enough to provide a consistent string of hits for Missouri as the team put up a total of four hits across the game. 

Missouri attempted to chip into the lead in the bottom of the seventh, after a walk from Katie Chester and a single to center field by Dodge. Stefania Abruscato was unable to break the ice for Missouri, striking out for Penta’s seventh of the day and ending the last chance to score for Missouri.

Missouri (20-3, 2-1) will attempt to bounce back as the Tigers travel to Champaign on Mar. 13 to take on Illinois in a two-game series.