The No. 15 Missouri softball team locked up the series win against No. 9 Florida on Saturday. However, the Tigers could not complete the sweep, falling to Florida, 3-1 Sunday afternoon.

The Gators scored first with a two-run homer from Ava Brown in the second inning. The blast came immediately after a double from Reagan Walsh. Florida continued to roll with a single and a walk on the next two at-bats.

Mizzou pitcher Laurin Krings shut down the rally with three consecutive outs, including a strikeout looking. 

The Tigers offense failed to match the Gators’ output. Mizzou was held hitless through the first three innings of the matchup, unable to get on the scoreboard. With Keagan Rothrock back on the mound for Florida, she continued to give the Tigers trouble early. Rothrock held the Tigers without a hit for five innings on Friday, despite giving up two runs in the second.

Maddie Gallagher broke up the no-hitter hopes in the fourth with a ball on the ground that ripped past the second baseman. The Tigers could not capitalize on the hit, and Gallagher stayed stranded on second. 

Florida added to their lead in the fifth inning with three straight singles against Krings to bring in one run. With one out and runners on the corners, freshman Marissa McCann made her third consecutive relief appearance of the weekend. McCann stepped up to the occasion, recording two straight popouts to escape, putting the Tigers only trailing by three.

Mizzou immediately cut into the deficit with one run, scored without a hit. Hitting first, freshman Stefania Abruscato was hit by a pitch to reach base. Abruscato was pinch run for by fellow freshman Claire Cahalan, who advanced to second on a passed ball. Cahalan crossed the plate after two-straight sacrifice outs, including an RBI groundout from junior Mya Dodge. 

McCann finished the last two innings in the circle, holding Florida scoreless in her 2.2 innings pitched. Over the weekend, McCann pitched 7.1 innings while allowing no runs and only one hit. 

But the Tigers offense stagnated, unable to solve Rothrock the rest of the way. Mizzou finished the game with one run on one hit.

“[Rothrock] really kept us off balance,” Larissa Anderson said. “She would throw her really spinny rise, which is a lower velocity than her rise. It was kind of like she was pitching backwards.”

The Tigers continue to struggle on Sundays, moving to 0-5 in the series finale against SEC opponents. 

Mizzou will be back at home on Wednesday, April 17 for a midweek matchup against SIUE at 5 p.m.