(Courtesy Missouri Athletics)
Mizzou Softball’s hot hitting streak did not stop on Saturday (April 26) as the Black & Gold scored 10 runs on seven hits to run-rule No. 3 LSU, 10-2, and clinch the weekend series. Pitchers Tori Finuance (Germantown, M.D.) and Paige Lowary (Dallas Center, Iowa) combined for a stellar pitching performance allowing two runs on three hits.
The strong hitting performance started in the first inning with sophomore OF Emily Crane (Troy, Mo.) and redshirt junior 2B Sami Fagan (Dunnellon, Fla.) reaching base via a fielder’s choice and a walk to set up freshman 3B Amanda Sanchez (West Covina, Calif.) to rip a two-run single to center for an early 2-0 Mizzou lead.
Fagan’s walk extended her streak of reaching base safely to 32 games, tied for second all-time in program history. With Sanchez on first, fellow California native Kirsten Mack (Riverside, Calif.) launched a home run over theleft field fence to extend Mizzou’s lead to 4-0 after the first inning.
Finucane got the start in the circle for the Tigers allowing five walks through the first two innings. Some amazing defensive plays and well-timed strikeouts allowed her to avoid the threats and get out of the two framesunscathed.
LSU’s Bianka Bell was able to get the first hit off of Finucane, a solo home run in the third inning to put LSU on the board, 4-1. The visiting Tigers were able to muster together two more hits to extend the rally but an impressive catch by Crane in right field ended the threat.
Crane took the momentum from the catch and channeled it at the plate in the bottom half, ripping a leadoff single up the middle. Fagan followed with her second walk of the day before an error plated a run to give Mizzou a 5-1 lead.
Senior SS Corrin Genovese (East Amherst, N.Y.) continued the rally by tacking on another run with a sacrifice fly to right field to drive in Fagan for a6-1 lead. Freshman Sydney Sprague(Columbus, Ga.) pinch ran for Sanchez and teamed up with Senior 1B Kelsea Roth, to pull off a double steal with Sprague stealing home to extend Mizzou’s lead to 7-1.
LSU was able to add a run in the fourth inning after the first two LSU batters reached on errors to chase Finucane from the game. Lowary entered the game in relief and was able to string together three straight outs to get out of the jam but the leadoff batter for LSU did cross the plate on a fielder’s choice to sliceMizzou’s lead to five, 7-2.
It did not take long for Mizzou to respond with redshirt junior Taylor Gadbois (Maryville, Mo.) leading off the bottom half of the fourth with a walk before Crane singled. An error advanced both runners to second and third.
Fagan laced an RBI single up the middle to score Gadbois and push the Tiger lead back to six, 8-2. Roth later roped one to the LSU 2B who misplayed the ball for an error allowing two more runs to score and extend the Mizzou lead to 10-2. Lowary pitched a three up, three down top of the fifth inning to clinch the run-rule victory for Mizzou.
The final game of this three game series is Monday night at 6:00 p.m. CT with Mizzou looking for a sweep.
Game Notes
· Sami Fagan drew a walk in the first inning to extend her reached base safely streak to 32 games. The impressive streak is tied for second all-time in program history with Jen Bruck who put together her streak in 2008.
· Kirsten Mack hit her team-leading 13th home run in the first inning to give Mizzou a 4-0 lead.
· Amanda Sanchez and Mack each had two RBI for their 12thand 13thmulti-RBI games, respectively.
· Tori Finucane struck out five batters over her 3.0 innings pitched.
