NORMAN, Okla. – The University of Missouri softball program (35-26) fought to the very end Saturday in its 2023 NCAA Norman Regional elimination game with California (35-20-1), dropping a 7-5 decision to the Golden Bears at Marita Hynes Field.
Missouri wrapped its 2023 campaign with a 35-26 overall mark after making the program’s 16th-straight NCAA Tournament appearance. The Tigers have now registered 35 wins in four of the last five seasons (2020 COVID-19 shortened season was the only time the Tigers didn’t meet the threshold in that span).
Trailing 5-0, the Tigers hit three consecutive home runs in the fourth to trim the deficit to two.
Maddie Gallagher and Megan Moll hit back-to-back first-pitch homers before Payton Jackson drilled a 1-2 count to left to complete the dinger parade.
It marked the first back-to-back-to-back home run game for the Tigers since Kara Daly, Alex Honnold, and Kendyll Bailey completed the feat March 5, 2022, against St. Thomas.
Mizzou then had the tying run up to bat in the bottom of the seventh but couldn’t complete the comeback.
Jenna Laird knocked a single to left as the Tigers had two aboard with one out after a Maddie Snider fielder’s choice. The duo moved up to second and third, respectively, on a wild pitch before a Honnold walk loaded the bases.
Daly then plated a pair of Tigers with a single to center to cut the lead to 7-5 but the Golden Bears kept Mizzou at bay with a groundout.
California struck first Saturday with RBI singles from Elon Butler and Tatum Anzaldo in the second and third frames, respectively.
Makena Smith added a two-run home run to left before an Anzaldo RBI base hit pushed the Golden Bears advantage to 5-0 in the fourth.
After Mizzou’s back-to-back-to-back jacks in the bottom of the fourth, California regrew its lead to 7-3, scoring on a wild pitch in the fifth and a Sona Halajian homer in the seventh.
The Tigers dropped their 2023 NCAA Norman Regional winner’s bracket matchup to No. 1/1 Oklahoma, 11-0, Saturday afternoon to set up the elimination game with California.
The Golden Bears and Oklahoma will meet Sunday in the 2023 NCAA Norman Regional Finals. First pitch is set for 1 p.m., CT.
GAME NOTES
- Payton Jackson paced the Tigers hitting, going a career-best 3-for-3 at the dish with a home run. The homer was her second of the season (seventh in her collegiate career, five at Texas Tech).
- For Payton Jackson, it marked her fifth multi-hit game of the season.
- Jenna Laird added a 2-for-4 day at the plate, with a run for her team-leading 24th multi-hit game in 2023.
- With the outing, Jenna Laird extended her reached-base streak to 13 games.
- Maddie Gallagher, Megan Moll, and Payton Jackson hit back-to-back-to-back homers Saturday. It marked the first time Mizzou had accomplished the feat since Kara Daly, Alex Honnold, and Kendyll Bailey on March 5, 2022, against St. Thomas.
- Maddie Gallagher registered her first career home run as a Tiger (second in her collegiate career, one at South Carolina) to open the sequence.
- Senior Megan Moll recorded her third home run of the 2023 campaign which marked a new career high (two in both 2020 and 2022).
- Starter Jordan Weber was handed the loss, allowing four runs on four hits with two strikeouts and three walks.
- Freshman Cierra Harrison and Taylor Pannell both made appearances in relief. Harrison let up two runs on four hits with a strikeout over 1.2 innings. Pannell allowed a run on three hits with a career-best matching three strikeouts and a walk over 2.1 innings (career high) on her birthday.
- Kara Daly pushed her hitting streak to seven games, going 1-for-3 with a RBI and a walk.
- The 2023 campaign marks the fourth time in the past five seasons that Mizzou has totaled 35 or more wins (2020 COVID-19 shortened season was the only time the Tigers didn’t meet the threshold in that span).
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