(Photo Credit: Mike Krebs- MUTigers.com)
On Saturday Missouri and Kansas fans got a little taste of what was once one of the best rivalries in all of college sports. The Tigers softball team played host to the Jayhawks of Kansas at University Field in game two of the Columbia regional NCAA tournament. Missouri edged out the victory thanks to a late rally taking the game 5-3 after a five-hour rain delay.
Tori Finucane started her second straight game after putting in a stellar performance Friday night against Indiana State. Though despite Finucane’s dominance in game one the Jayhawk bats were hot early on as junior Chaley Brickey registered a leadoff single in the top of the first. Later in the inning, senior Chanin Naudin connected on a two-run shot, putting Kansas on the board 2-0.
Luckily for Finucane the Tiger bats matched the Jayhawks in the bottom half of the inning with two runs of their own. After Emily Crane reached on an infield single, Sami Fagan blasted a ball over the right field wall to tie the game up 2-2. Amanda Sanchez then doubled to deep center, but the Tigers were unable to push the run across.
Freshman Daniella Chavez gave Kansas the lead back in the top of the third, 3-2 on a solo shot to center field. The homerun was her 16th of the season. Finucane worked her way around a walk and a pair of base hits following the home run to end the inning trailing by one.
Following a 1-2-3 inning from Finucane the Missouri offense came alive in the fifth inning for the second straight day to take a 5-3 lead. Following a one out single by Crane and a walk to Fagan it was first baseman Amanda Sanchez’s turn to make some noise. The freshman slapped a single up the middle, scoring Crane, to tie the game at 3-3.
Kelsea Roth gave the Tigers the lead on her only hit of the afternoon with a double down the line scoring Fagan and pinch runner Kayla Kingsley. With the lead the Tigers never looked back as Finucane shut down the Jayhawks the next two innings to pick up her 21st victory of the season.
After the game head coach Ehren Earlywine addressed whether freshman pitcher Paige Lowary would be available for tomorrow’s start.
“She’s still feeling bad and we’re going to do the same thing we did yesterday – wake up tomorrow and see if she can go. I would have thrown Cheyenne (Baxter). There is no way Tori could throw all of them.”
The Tigers continue to show resilience in how they attack each game through grinding out tough at bats and playing quality defense. Even though Finucane had a tough start she came around and pitched a solid back end to secure her 21st victory of the season. Look for that to be the case again tomorrow if Baxter does indeed get the start if Lowary is unavailable.
Missouri takes on Kansas, who beat Indiana State, again tomorrow at 12 p.m. CT in the Columbia regional final.
Side note: Congratulations to senior catcher Alyssa Cousins on graduating with a degree in Parks, Rec, & Tourism!
Follow @NickYahl on Twitter for more Missouri news and updates.
