COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri softball concluded its home-opening weekend with a 17-0 run-rule victory over Kansas City Sunday afternoon at the Mizzou Softball Stadium.
Mizzou improved to 16-13 this season after its fifth-straight victory.
MU’s 17 runs scored marked a season-best and the highest run total for the Tigers since putting up 20 against Fordham on March 26, 2024.
Missouri compiled 10 or more hits for the eighth time in 2025.
The run-rule victory was the fourth of the season for Mizzou.
Senior Kara Daly paced the Tigers offense Sunday, going 2-for-2 with a career-best matching 5 RBI and two runs.
Following an RBI double from Stefania Abruscato and an RBI triple from Taylor Ebbs, Daly registered a sacrifice fly to provide Mizzou a 3-0 advantage after the first inning.
Daly, a Jefferson City, Missouri, product, then added a two-run double to push the Tigers lead to 8-0.
She capped her day with a two-run homer in the third to increase the score to 15-0. It marked her sixth of the season and her 36th of her career. Daly now ranks tied for 10th in Missouri program history with Cayla Kessinger (36 home runs, 2017-2021).
Madison Uptegrove also had a home run Sunday, notching a three-run shot to make it a double-digit lead (11-0) in the second. It marked her second homer of the season. She also had a career-best three RBI and scored twice to go with a walk in the win over Kansas City.
Ebbs and Madison Walker rounded out the Tigers with three RBI.
Ebbs, a senior from Keizer, Oregon, finished 2-for-2 with three RBI, a personal-best tying two runs and a triple. She officially surpassed 100 RBI in her collegiate career in the victory. Ebbs also extended her hitting streak to seven games (eight-game reached base streak).
Walker registered a two-run double in the third (13-0 Mizzou) to go with a bases loaded hit by pitch. She scored a career-best two times Sunday. Walker has now hit safely in seven-straight games.
Marissa McCann picked up the win in the circle, throwing three scoreless innings (0 runs, 0 hits, one walk) with five strikeouts. She improved to 7-4 in 2025 after her third-straight win of the weekend. McCann surpassed 100 career strikeouts in the victory.
Taylor Pannell came in for the final two innings, allowing just two hits with three strikeouts to secure the combined shutout.
Jordyn Thurman and Nevaeh Watkins both tallied their first career collegiate hits on their first official plate appearances. Thurman doubled to left in the fourth and scored on Watkins’ RBI single.
Sophie Smith added her first career run and RBI (sacrifice fly).
Six Tigers scored twice Sunday.
Claire Cahalan pushed her reached base streak to 14 games with a walk. Abruscato is on a seven-game reached base streak while Abby Hay has reached safely in six consecutive games.
UP NEXT
- Missouri next will host its first midweek of the 2025 season, welcoming Illinois to Columbia on Tuesday for a Braggin’ Rights matchup. First pitch is 3 p.m., CT and the game will be available on SEC Network+.
- The Tigers then host No. 1 Oklahoma March 21 through 23 at the Mizzou Softball Stadium. All three games will be featured on SEC Network+. Its Alumni Weekend and the series will feature a 50 years of Mizzou Softball celebration.
FOLLOW THE TIGERS
- For all the latest on Mizzou Softball, stay tuned to MUTigers.com and follow the team @MizzouSoftball (X, Instagram, Facebook).
- The Diamond Club is accepting new members. Email MAF@missouri.edu or call 573-882-0704 to join.
