CLEARWATER, Fla. – No. 16 ranked University of Missouri softball split its opening day of the 2025 Shriners Children’s Clearwater Invitational Presented by EvoShield Thursday at the Eddie C. Moore Complex.
MU dropped its top-25 matchup against No. 8/9 Florida State (5-1), 9-1, in six innings before bouncing back and notching a 10-6 comeback victory over Clemson (3-3). Both games were featured on ESPN2.
With a 1-1 record to start the Clearwater Invitational, Mizzou improves to 5-3 this season.
No. 8/9 Florida State 9, No. 16 Missouri 1 – Six Innings
Missouri commenced its Thursday with a 9-1 run-rule loss to No. 8/9 Florida State.
The Seminoles took a 3-0 lead in the first on a Michaela Edenfield three-run homer. FSU would score seven of its nine runs via the long ball Thursday.
Mizzou would cut the early deficit to 3-1 on a solo homer from leadoff hitter Julia Crenshaw in the bottom of the first.
Crenshaw, a senior from O’Fallon, Missouri, led the Tigers at the plate, going 2-for-2.
Starter Cierra Harrison (2-1) was handed the loss, allowing six earned runs on six hits with two walks and a strikeout over 2.0 innings.
Courtney Donahue picked up her first strikeout at Missouri in relief. She pitched a career-best 3.0 innings (three earned runs on five hits) with a pair of strikeouts.
Senior Jayci Kruse made her first appearance of the 2025 season, pitching the final inning (third time personal-best 1.0 inning outing). She let up a hit with no earned runs.
No. 16 Missouri 10, Clemson 6
Missouri then completed the comeback in game two of its Invitational doubleheader, 10-6, over Clemson.
CU jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the second before Missouri responded with a five-spot of its own in the home half of the frame.
With MU Tigers at first and second, Mizzou rallied off four-straight hits to even the contest. Claire Cahalan began the hit parade with a perfectly placed RBI bunt single and Stefania Abruscato capped the sequence with a two-run double.
Taylor Ebbs added a two-run double (season-high two RBI) to right center in the fourth before RBI sacrifice flies from Kayley Lenger (fourth) and Abruscato (fifth).
Abruscato had a career-best matching three RBI Thursday.
Crenshaw registered a season-best two hits (2-for-4) for the third-straight game (fifth time in 2025, four-game reached base streak). She also scored twice and posted an RBI. Crenshaw is now four hits away from 100 in her career at Missouri.
Cahalan added a career-best matching two hits (2-for-3) with a run and an RBI.
Freshman Kadence Shepherd notched her first career hit as a Missouri Tiger in the win, a pinch-hit infield single in the sixth.
Missouri totaled 10 hits, its third time with double-digit hits in 2024. MU also scored a season-best 10 runs for the second time this season.
Marissa McCann earned the victory in the circle to improve to 2-0 in 2025. She pitched a personal-best 6.1 innings to surpass 100 career innings at Mizzou. McCann notched four strikeouts while allowing six earned runs on eight hits.
Closer Taylor Pannell came on for the final two outs Thursday, posting a strikeout and a lineout.
NEXT UP
- Mizzou will next face Ohio State Friday at 5:30 p.m., CT on Field 1 at the Eddie C. Moore Complex for Day 2 of the 2025 Shriners Children’s Clearwater Invitational Presented by EvoShield.
- The game will be streamed on ESPN+ with Mike Couzens and Jenny Dalton-Hill on the broadcast.
