COLUMBIA, Mo.-
GAME 1
Mizzou improved to 36-11 on the season in game one of a doubleheader against Northern Iowa at University Field as the Tigers rallied for a 4-2 win thanks to a three-run fifth inning. The big fifth frame supported a strong pitching performance by freshman leftyPaige Lowary (Dallas Center, Iowa).
Junior 2B Sami Fagan (Dunnellon, Fla.) put the Tigers up 3-2 in the fifth with her double off the left field wall bringing junior CF Taylor Gadbois (Maryville, Mo.) and junior RF Emily Crane (Troy, Mo.) around to score. Later in the inning, sophomore catcher Kirsten Mack(Riverside, Calif.) doubled to right field to score Fagan and push Mizzou's lead to 4-2.
Lowary gave up a run each in the first and fourth innings, but improved to 17-4 on the season as she allowed just three hits overall and struck out nine Panther batters.
After UNI took the early 1-0 lead, Mizzou tied it at 1-1 in its half of the second, as senior DP Angela Randazzo (Poway, Calif.) yanked an RBI groundout to the shortstop. Senior 1B Kelsea Roth (Yorba Linda, Calif.) raced home to score from third base on the play.
Northern Iowa led off the fourth inning with a home run to move ahead 2-1. Lowary responded by retiring the next three batters, striking out two. The freshman hurler followed that up with three strikeouts in the fifth inning.
GAME 2
A six-run sixth inning fueled by a grand slam from freshman 3B Amanda Sanchez (West Covina, Calif.) and a game-winning solo shot from 1B Kelsea Roth (Yorba Linda, Calif.) propelled Mizzou to a 10-9 comeback win in the nightcap of a doubleheader.
Mizzou trailed by a 9-4 score entering the sixth, but quickly loaded the bases on a single by freshman LF Morgan Walters (Buford, Ga.), who turned in her first career multi-hit game.
Senior SS Corrin Genovese (East Amherst, N.Y.) followed with a walk, and then Taylor Gadbois (Troy, Mo.) reached with an infield single to load the bases with no outs. After a flyout, junior C/2B Sami Fagan (Dunnellon, Fla.) singled to right to score Walters and cut the deficit to 9-5.
Sanchez promptly deposited a 1-0 pitch just to the left of the center field scoreboard (her second grand slam of the season) to tie the game at 9-9. After a groundout, Roth worked a full count and then turned on a 3-2 pitch and hammered it deep over the left field fence to plate what would be the game-winning run.
The Tigers started the game by taking a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Sanchez grounded out to the right side to score Gadbois.
Northern Iowa scored three runs in the top of the second to jump ahead 3-1, but Mizzou fired back with three runs of their own in the bottom of the frame to retake the lead 4-3.
Genovese started the Tigers off with a hard hit to the Panther 1B, causing an error and allowing sophomore 2B Natalie Fleming(Silex, Mo.) to score. A high infield chopper by Gadbois scored Walters from third base. The final run of the inning for the Tigers came on a sacrifice fly from Emily Crane (Troy, Mo.) that plated Genovese. The Tigers ran wild on the base paths, stealing four bases in the inning.
The Panthers swung the momentum their way with a three-run home run in the third inning, making the score 6-4 in their favor. Northern Iowa followed that up with three more runs in the fourth, including a two-run home run, to push their lead to 9-4.
After the dramatic sixth-inning rally, freshman LHP Paige Lowary (Dallas Center, Iowa) came out of the bullpen in the seventh and pitched a 1-2-3 inning to pick up her third save of the season. The rally made a winner out of sophomore RHP Cheyenne Baxter, who worked 6.0 innings and improved to 2-1 on the season.
The win improved Mizzou to 37-11 on the season. The Tigers' next game is against No. 1 Florida this Friday at 6:30 p.m. at Taylor Stadium. For all the latest on Mizzou Softball, stay tuned to MUTigers.com and follow the team on Twitter @MizzouSoftball.
GAME 1
Mizzou improved to 36-11 on the season in game one of a doubleheader against Northern Iowa at University Field as the Tigers rallied for a 4-2 win thanks to a three-run fifth inning. The big fifth frame supported a strong pitching performance by freshman leftyPaige Lowary (Dallas Center, Iowa).
Junior 2B Sami Fagan (Dunnellon, Fla.) put the Tigers up 3-2 in the fifth with her double off the left field wall bringing junior CF Taylor Gadbois (Maryville, Mo.) and junior RF Emily Crane (Troy, Mo.) around to score. Later in the inning, sophomore catcher Kirsten Mack(Riverside, Calif.) doubled to right field to score Fagan and push Mizzou's lead to 4-2.
Lowary gave up a run each in the first and fourth innings, but improved to 17-4 on the season as she allowed just three hits overall and struck out nine Panther batters.
After UNI took the early 1-0 lead, Mizzou tied it at 1-1 in its half of the second, as senior DP Angela Randazzo (Poway, Calif.) yanked an RBI groundout to the shortstop. Senior 1B Kelsea Roth (Yorba Linda, Calif.) raced home to score from third base on the play.
Northern Iowa led off the fourth inning with a home run to move ahead 2-1. Lowary responded by retiring the next three batters, striking out two. The freshman hurler followed that up with three strikeouts in the fifth inning.
GAME 2
A six-run sixth inning fueled by a grand slam from freshman 3B Amanda Sanchez (West Covina, Calif.) and a game-winning solo shot from 1B Kelsea Roth (Yorba Linda, Calif.) propelled Mizzou to a 10-9 comeback win in the nightcap of a doubleheader.
Mizzou trailed by a 9-4 score entering the sixth, but quickly loaded the bases on a single by freshman LF Morgan Walters (Buford, Ga.), who turned in her first career multi-hit game.
Senior SS Corrin Genovese (East Amherst, N.Y.) followed with a walk, and then Taylor Gadbois (Troy, Mo.) reached with an infield single to load the bases with no outs. After a flyout, junior C/2B Sami Fagan (Dunnellon, Fla.) singled to right to score Walters and cut the deficit to 9-5.
Sanchez promptly deposited a 1-0 pitch just to the left of the center field scoreboard (her second grand slam of the season) to tie the game at 9-9. After a groundout, Roth worked a full count and then turned on a 3-2 pitch and hammered it deep over the left field fence to plate what would be the game-winning run.
The Tigers started the game by taking a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Sanchez grounded out to the right side to score Gadbois.
Northern Iowa scored three runs in the top of the second to jump ahead 3-1, but Mizzou fired back with three runs of their own in the bottom of the frame to retake the lead 4-3.
Genovese started the Tigers off with a hard hit to the Panther 1B, causing an error and allowing sophomore 2B Natalie Fleming(Silex, Mo.) to score. A high infield chopper by Gadbois scored Walters from third base. The final run of the inning for the Tigers came on a sacrifice fly from Emily Crane (Troy, Mo.) that plated Genovese. The Tigers ran wild on the base paths, stealing four bases in the inning.
The Panthers swung the momentum their way with a three-run home run in the third inning, making the score 6-4 in their favor. Northern Iowa followed that up with three more runs in the fourth, including a two-run home run, to push their lead to 9-4.
After the dramatic sixth-inning rally, freshman LHP Paige Lowary (Dallas Center, Iowa) came out of the bullpen in the seventh and pitched a 1-2-3 inning to pick up her third save of the season. The rally made a winner out of sophomore RHP Cheyenne Baxter, who worked 6.0 innings and improved to 2-1 on the season.
The win improved Mizzou to 37-11 on the season. The Tigers' next game is against No. 1 Florida this Friday at 6:30 p.m. at Taylor Stadium. For all the latest on Mizzou Softball, stay tuned to MUTigers.com and follow the team on Twitter @MizzouSoftball.
