COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri softball captured Braggin’ Rights on Tuesday afternoon with a 5-3 midweek victory over Illinois at Mizzou Softball Stadium.
With the win, Missouri improves to 17-13 this season after its sixth-straight victory, its longest winning streak in 2025. Tuesday’s midweek marked Mizzou’s first at home this season.
Senior Kara Daly and freshman Madison Uptegrove led the Missouri offense on Tuesday, recording two hits apiece and combining for three RBIs. Daly recorded her seventh multi-RBI game of the season.
A home run by Daly in the bottom of the fifth provided the game’s first run to give the Tigers a 1-0 advantage. The home run was the 37th of her career, overtaking Cayla Kessinger (2017-21, 36 home runs) for 10th all-time in Mizzou program history.
Daly, a Jefferson City, Missouri, native, has now hit home runs in consecutive games and three of the last four games. She now has seven homers this season which matches her total from 2024. Daly has also registered two hits in three-straight games.
Illinois responded in the sixth with a long ball of its own to tie the game.
Following a base hit by Taylor Ebbs, Daly registered an RBI double to retake the lead and start a six-run sixth inning. She is currently on a nine-game reached base streak (eight-game hitting streak).
Uptegrove continued the scoring for the Tigers with an RBI single. Cahalan then added an RBI single of her own, driving two more in and increasing the Tigers’ advantage to 5-1.
The single by Cahalan extended her on base streak to 15 games.
Cierra Harrison got the start for the Tigers, recording eight strikeouts through 5.2 innings with only one run given up on her birthday.
Taylor Pannell was awarded the victory for Missouri, improving her record to 4-3 in 2025.
Sophomore Nathalie Touchet followed Pannell in relief, pitching a scoreless frame for her first career save at Mizzou.
A single in the first inning extended sophomore Madison Walker’s hitting streak to eight games.
Sophomore Stefania Abruscato pushed her reached base streak to eight games with a walk.
Cahalan recorded her second multi-RBI game of the season.
The Tigers improved to 17-4 all-time against the Fighting Illini.
UP NEXT
- The Tigers will next host No. 1 Oklahoma Friday through Sunday 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.
- Join us in Expanding the Tradition of excellence in Mizzou Softball! This special initiative focuses on building a Rock M at the Mizzou Softball Stadium, a centerpiece of Tiger pride. The Rock M debuted this season at the Mizzou Softball Stadium.
