At the windy and cloudy Missouri Softball Complex, the Missouri Tigers came into game two of the series against the Ole Miss Rebels looking to build on their 8-3 win from Saturday. However, after giving up five runs in the top of the seventh, the Tigers dropped to the Rebels 7-6. Despite the cold and windy weather, the Missouri bench and fans were high throughout the game. The players were continuously dancing in the dugout, and the fans wrapped in blankets made their presence known.
The first three innings of the game was a slow pitcher duel, with the Tigers failing to get a hit and the Rebels unable to get a player past first base. Missouri finally broke the game open with Alex Honnold’s single in the bottom of the fourth. Kara Daly then walked on a full count, and Daly and Honnold stole second and third respectively. With runners in scoring position, Julia Crenshaw hit a sacrifice fly to center, her sixth of the season, and Honnold used her speed to give the Tigers a 1-0 lead.
Missouri added to its lead in the bottom of the fifth with Maddie Snider scoring thanks to an Alex Honnold bunt and Julia Crenshaw getting hit by a pitch, which brought in Payton Jackson and gave the Tigers a 3-0 lead.
Up until the sixth, Missouri starting pitcher Lauren Krings had seven strikeouts and had given up zero runs. A single by Nyomi Jones put a runner on base, and Krings subsequently gave up a two-run homerun to Paige Smith. However, going into the top of the seventh, Krings remained on the mound, and the Tigers were only three outs away from a win.
Krings walked the first batter she faced in the top of the seventh, which prompted Larissa Anderson to bring Emma Nicholis to the mound. In retrospect, it seems that Anderson should have kept in Krings. Nichols walked her first batter and then hit the next, loading the bases. Another pitching change occurred and this time Megan Schumacher came in to try to close out the inning and game. Schumacher then gave up a single that two runners scored on, walked a batter, and gave up a double that three runs scored on. With the Tigers down 7-3, Anderson decided to bring Krings back into the game. Krings quickly struck out the Rebels to finally end the seventh inning that caused so much damage.
Down 7-3, the Tigers were able to make a rally in the bottom of the seventh. A Payton Jackson single followed by a Honnold and Kara Daly walk loaded the bases. Crenshaw’s single brought in Jackson and Katie Chester’s single brought home Crenshaw and Daly. Only down 7-6 with two outs, Chantice Phillips stretched her at bat to a full count before grounding out to third.
Honnold and Jackson had the best hitting performance for the Tigers, both going 2-3 at the plate with two hits a piece. In total, Lauren Krings pitched 6.2 innings, and is credited with nine strikeouts and three earned runs.
After falling to Ole Miss in extra innings Monday, the Tigers (25-20, 4-14) still haven’t secured an SEC series. Missouri continues its 9-game home stand against Kansas Wednesday at 6 p.m.