AUBURN, Ala. – Maddie Gallagher knocked a walk-off sacrifice fly in the eighth inning to propel the fifth seeded No. 11/12 University of Missouri softball team (43-14) to the 2024 SEC Tournament Championship game, Friday afternoon at Jane B. Moore Field as the Tigers overcame eighth seeded No. 10/9 LSU (40-15), 2-1, in extra innings.
With the scored tied at 1-1, Mizzou posted consecutive singles to commence the eighth and set the table for Gallagher's heroics. Jenna Laird and Alex Honnold tallied back-to-back base hits before the duo moved into scoring position following a wild pitch.
Gallagher who was responsible for both of Mizzou's runs Friday, blasted a deep fly to right field to score Laird. Gallagher tallied her team-leading ninth multi-RBI game to help the Tigers walk-off LSU.
With the win, Missouri will face the second seeded No. 8/7 Florida in the 2024 SEC Tournament Championship game Saturday at 4 p.m., CT on ESPN2.
MU has now advanced to the Tournament Championship three times (2024, 2022, 2013) and second time in three seasons.
The win is also the Tigers seventh SEC Tournament win in their past nine Tournament games dating back to the 2022 season.
Missouri took an early 1-0 lead Friday in the third inning courtesy of a solo homer from Gallagher. Gallagher, a senior from Port Washington, New York, blasted her career-best third round tripper of the campaign (five career home runs).
LSU then knotted the contest at 1-1 with an RBI double from Madyson Manning in the fifth.
Laurin Krings pitched 4.2 innings in the no-decision, allowing just one run on four hits with two strikeouts.
Marissa McCann came on in relief, allowing no runs on one hit over 2.0 innings.
Taylor Pannell, the NCAA saves leader, closed out the final 1.1 innings for the victory. She improved to 3-1 in 2024 and picked up her second win in her last four appearances.
GAME NOTES
- Maddie Gallagher paced Mizzou at the plate, going 1-for-3 with a home run and two RBI.
- Maddie Gallagher blasted her career-best third round tripper of the campaign (five career home runs).
- Maddie Gallagher tallied her team-leading ninth multi-RBI game. She has reached base safely in each of Mizzou's last four games (hits in each of last two).
- Jenna Laird (1-for-4, run), Alex Honnold (1-for-3) and Julia Crenshaw (1-for-3) each added a hit.
- Alex Honnold compiled her 200th career hit in the eighth inning Friday.
- Alex Honnold extended her reached base streak to 13 games (five-game hitting streak).
- Jenna Laird made her 237th consecutive start and is now Mizzou's all-time career consecutive games played leader. She overtook Hatti Moore (236 career games, 2018-22) for the category.
- Jenna Laird is currently on a three-game hitting streak.
- Kayley Lenger, Abby Hay, and Julia Crenshaw (hits in each of the last two) are all on six-game reached base streaks.
- Laurin Krings pitched 4.2 innings in the no-decision, allowing just one run on four hits with two strikeouts.
- Marissa McCann came on in relief, allowing no runs on one hit over 2.0 innings.
- Taylor Pannell, the NCAA saves leader, closed out the final 1.1 innings for the victory. She improved to 3-1 in 2024 and picked up her second win in her last four appearances.
- Head coach Larissa Anderson improved to 8-4 at the SEC Tournament.
- MU has now advanced to the SEC Tournament Championship three times (2024, 2022, 2013) and second time in three seasons.
- The win is also the Tigers seventh SEC Tournament win in their past nine Tournament games dating back to the 2022 season.
- With the win, Mizzou surpassed its win total from 2021 (42-17), when the Tigers last hosted a Super Regional.
- The win total is the most since 2014 (43-18). Mizzou last surpassed 43 wins in 2012 (47-14).
- Mizzou advanced to Saturday's SEC Tournament Championship game where the Tigers will face second seeded No. 8/7 Florida. First pitch is set for 4 p.m., CT on ESPN2.
