Krings' Masterpiece Lifts Missouri Softball to SEC Tournament Quarterfinals

The Tigers will play No. 4 seed Arkansas tomorrow afternoon.

The first full day of SEC softball did

The game prior (No. 9 Alabama-No. 8 LSU) lasted 14 innings, with the Tigers outlasting the Crimson Tide on the back of a 208-pitch complete game from Sydney Berzon. The marathon pushed back the contest between No. 13 Ole Miss and No. 5 Missouri over an hour.

However, the late start didn't seem to phase the Tigers, as they took down the upset-minded Rebels 3-1 behind a masterful performance from Laurin Krings as well as a pair of timely hits from Alex Honnold and Abby Hay.

Both teams looked a little sluggish offensively to start, but Missouri threw the first pair of punches. In the bottom of the third, Honnold roped her 21st double of the season off the wall in right center field, scoring Jenna Laird and Kayley Lenger to make it 2-0 Tigers. Two batters laster, Hay knocked a single into left field that scored Honnold.

While Missouri's bats struggled a bit against Ole Miss starter Brianna Lopez, Krings was mowing down the Rebels all afternoon. Entering the top of the seventh, Krings allowed just two hits, and she was retiring the opposition efficiently; while she only recorded one strikeout, she only walked one batter.

However, it wasn't a totally perfect day for Krings, as she was knocked out of the game in the top of the seventh. Cleanup hitter Aynslie Furbush punished Krings for leaving a pitch over the heart of the plate by smacking a solo home run.

Closer Taylor Pannell entered the game, and although the Rebels continued fighting in the batter's box, Pannell shut the door to gift Missouri another SEC Tournament contest.

Once again, Jenna Laird led the Tigers at the plate with two hits in three at-bats. Missouri's defense also stepped up, as Laird, Maddie Gallagher and Kara Daly had an excellent outing in the field.

Missouri will battle No. 4 Arkansas on Wednesday at 1 p.m. CST. The victor of that game will face the winner of No. 8 LSU-No. 1 Tennessee. The Razorbacks took two of three games from the Tigers earlier this season.