Missouri Softball Goes 2-0 on Day 2 of Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic

Behind dominant pitching and late-game heroics from Katie Chester, the Tigers moved to 13-1 with wins over UCF and Cal State Fullerton.

After splitting a doubleheader on Thursday at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic, Mizzou looked to start and finish Friday's doubleheader on a high note. 

And that's exactly what the Tigers did. 

Behind offensive contributions from a litany of players dominant pitching performances from Laurin Krings and Marissa McCann, Mizzou moved to 13-1 with wins over UCF and Cal State Fullerton. 

Mizzou didn't waste much time doing damage in the first game against the Knights, as Kara Daly reversed a troubling trend that began yesterday in the first inning. Against San Diego State and Wisconsin, Mizzou left a combined 18 runners on base. The Tigers got runners aboard early, with Jenna Laird walking and Alex Honnold ripping a double. Two batters later, Daly hit a a chopper to second base that got under the glove of Samantha Rey.  

It wasn't long until Mizzou added on to its lead. Honnold, who'd already shelled starting pitcher Sarah Willis in the first inning with a double, hit another one. This time, it brought home Laird to make it 3-0 Tigers. 

UCF finally got on the board in the top of the fourth when Chloe Evans took Krings deep for a solo home run. However, that would be the only blemish on Krings' statline, as Krings was dominant, allowing just five other baserunners and striking out five batters. 

Mya Dodge padded the lead with an RBI single in the bottom of the fifth. It was a much-needed hit for Dodge, who'd started the season just 5-for-27 at the plate heading into Friday. 

The next inning, Julia Crenshaw also achieved atonement for prior struggles. In the first inning, she struck out with runners on second and third. In the next inning, she grounded out with a runner on second. In the fourth, she grounded out with runners on second and third. 

This time around, however, Crenshaw finally capitalized, bringing home Honnold from second on an RBI single. That'd be the final run of the game, as Krings sealed the deal to give Mizzou a 5-1 win. 

Honnold led the way at the plate, finishing 4-for-4. As a team, the Tigers stole four bases. 

However, Mizzou also left eight runners on base, and that trend kept up at the beginning of the Tigers' next game against Cal State Fullerton. They loaded the bases in the bottom of the first -- the highlight of the inning was Honnold hitting another double. Stefania Abruscato came up to bat...and struck out.

That was about the closest either team got to scoring for most of the game. Fullerton got a runner to third in the second inning, but that runner was stranded on a groundout. 

Both pitchers dominated. Fullerton's Haley Rainey was raining quick outs all night; from the second to the fifth inning, Mizzou never sent more than four batters to the plate. Marissa McCann wasn't as dominant in the strikeout department -- Rainey won that battle 7-5 -- but the freshman allowed just two hits in six innings of work, as Friday was her best performance of the young season. 

The ice was finally broken in the bottom of the sixth. With two runners on and facing a full count, pinch-hitter Katie Chester was thrown an off-speed pitch outside, and she sent it over the fence in right field to give Missouri a 3-0 lead. 

Her previous two home runs this season both came in blowouts against NC State and North Texas -- this one, however, came in the clutch, and it led to MU's second victory of the day. Taylor Pannell shut the door, and the Tigers kept their loss against San Diego State as their only one. 

Missouri will be back in action tomorrow for its final game in California against Baylor at 10 p.m. CST.