(Courtesy Missouri Athletics)
No. 13 Mizzou Softball (41-14, 15-8 SEC) took on No. 6 Alabama (43-10, 18-5 SEC) in a low-scoring, pitcher’s duel in front of a sold-out Friday night crowd. The Crimson Tide were able to string together two runs in the top half of the seventh inning to secure the 3-1 victory at University Field.
Freshman P Tori Finucane (Germantown, Md.) made her second consecutive start and did not allow an earned run in 7.0 innings pitched. The Tigers found themselves in trouble in the second inning with the bases loaded after two singles and an error. A single brought in one unearned run for a 1-0 UA lead.
With two outs in the bottom of the third inning, redshirt sophomore OF Taylor Gadbois (Maryville, Mo.) slapped the Tigers first hit of the game up the middle, beating the throw by a step before stealing second base on the very next pitch. Redshirt sophomore SS/C Sami Fagan (Dunnellon, Fla.) sent a pitch right back up the middle for a base knock to bring Gadbois home and tie the game at 1-1.
With the game tied, both pitchers locked in and allowed only three combined hits over the next three innings. Freshman P/OF/1B Casey Stangel (Coeur d’Alene, Idaho) entered the game in the seventh inning in relief for Finucane. Two runners were allowed on base with a run on a single back to Stangel off her foot, which signaled for Finucane to re-enter the circle.
Finucane intentionally walked the bases loaded with one out in order to set up the force at any base, but an error in the infield allowed a run to score for a 3-1 Alabama lead and the eventual final score. A strikeout and foul popup on the next two batters ended the rally for the Tide and set up Mizzou with one last half inning to chip away at the two-run deficit.
Hot-hitting junior IF Corrin Genovese (East Amherst, N.Y.) led off the bottom half of the seventh inning and ran the count full before smacking a single up the middle. That was all the offense the Tigers were able to put together as Alabama closed out the game for the 3-1 result.
An enormous crowd packed University Field for the game, with the 2,015 fans on hand becoming the fifth-largest crowd in the field’s history.
The sold-out final game of the series and the final home regular season game for the Tigers is slated for Saturday at 1 p.m. Saturday is Senior Day for OF Mackenzie Sykes (Blue Springs, Mo.) and pitcher Alora Marble (Jefferson City, Mo.), with festivities honoring the two seniors taking place after the conclusion of the game. Coverage of the action can be seen on ESPNU.
