Columbia, Mo. - No. 21 Mizzou Softball fell to No. 9 Georgia, 6-4, on Saturday, April 4 in Athens. The Bulldogs used a sixth-inning rally to clip the Tigers and force a rubber match Sunday.
Freshman Paige Lowary (Dallas Center, Iowa) put together a solid outing until the sixth. She struck out seven batters in 5.1 innings of work in the circle. After surrendering three runs in third, including a two-run home run that gave Georgia a 3-0 advantage, Lowary battled back and retired eight consecutive batters to keep the Tigers within striking distance.
Mizzou got on the board in the top of the fourth inning. Junior Emily Crane (Troy, Mo.) led off the frame with a bunt single. She went 2-for-4 at the dish and scored two runs on the afternoon. Freshman Amanda Sanchez (West Covina, Calif.) blasted her ninth home of the season, belting a two-run shot to plate Crane and slice the Tigers' deficit to 3-2.
Mizzou manufactured a rally with two outs and the bases empty to tie the score in the top half of the sixth. Seniors Kelsea Roth (Yorba Linda, Calif.) and Corrin Genovese (East Amherst, N.Y.) reached via an error and a walk. The pair advanced to second and third on a passed ball before another error allowed Roth score.
Georgia regained the lead in the bottom half, collecting six hits and three runs in the inning to take a 6-3 lead. The Tigers managed to get a run back in the final frame when Crane roped her first career triple to left field. Junior Sami Fagan (Dunnellon, Fla.) singled Crane home to pick her up fourth RBI of the series, but it was not enough as the Bulldogs secured a 6-4 victory.
Mizzou is back in action tomorrow on Sunday, April 5. The Tigers and Bulldogs face off at 1 p.m. CTon SEC Network+. For all the latest on Mizzou Softball, stay tuned to MUTigers.com and follow the team on twitter @MizzouSoftball.
Freshman Paige Lowary (Dallas Center, Iowa) put together a solid outing until the sixth. She struck out seven batters in 5.1 innings of work in the circle. After surrendering three runs in third, including a two-run home run that gave Georgia a 3-0 advantage, Lowary battled back and retired eight consecutive batters to keep the Tigers within striking distance.
Mizzou got on the board in the top of the fourth inning. Junior Emily Crane (Troy, Mo.) led off the frame with a bunt single. She went 2-for-4 at the dish and scored two runs on the afternoon. Freshman Amanda Sanchez (West Covina, Calif.) blasted her ninth home of the season, belting a two-run shot to plate Crane and slice the Tigers' deficit to 3-2.
Mizzou manufactured a rally with two outs and the bases empty to tie the score in the top half of the sixth. Seniors Kelsea Roth (Yorba Linda, Calif.) and Corrin Genovese (East Amherst, N.Y.) reached via an error and a walk. The pair advanced to second and third on a passed ball before another error allowed Roth score.
Georgia regained the lead in the bottom half, collecting six hits and three runs in the inning to take a 6-3 lead. The Tigers managed to get a run back in the final frame when Crane roped her first career triple to left field. Junior Sami Fagan (Dunnellon, Fla.) singled Crane home to pick her up fourth RBI of the series, but it was not enough as the Bulldogs secured a 6-4 victory.
Mizzou is back in action tomorrow on Sunday, April 5. The Tigers and Bulldogs face off at 1 p.m. CTon SEC Network+. For all the latest on Mizzou Softball, stay tuned to MUTigers.com and follow the team on twitter @MizzouSoftball.
