COLUMBIA, Mo. – After trailing 4-1 in the third, University of Missouri softball (24-16, 4-8 SEC) closed the gap to just one run in the fifth inning, but the Tigers ultimately fell to No. 14/13 Georgia (34-8, 8-5 SEC) by a score of 4-3.
RECAP
After it appeared that Laurin Krings had retired the side in the first inning on only six pitches, an illegal pitch was called to extend the inning. The next two batters walked to bring Kearney to the plate, and a base hit to right brought in the first run of the game for the Bulldogs. The next batter struck out but reached on a wild pitch before a base hit brought home a second run, putting the score at 2-0 after the top half.
Jenna Laird knocked a single into center to get the home half of the first started and she was able to move over to second on a wild pitch. Brooke Wilmes then singled up the middle to score Laird from second, cutting the Georgia lead to one.
The visitors again extended the lead to two with two outs in the top of the second, as Sydney Kuma drove a 1-0 pitch over the center field wall for a solo shot.
Mizzou threatened again in the bottom of the second. Alex Honnold doubled to right center with one out and Kara Daly drew a walk to put a pair of runners on base. A strikeout and a sharp groundout to third ended the inning.
Georgia got on the board again in the third. A walk and an error put runners on the corners right away for the Bulldogs. However, the next batter grounded a ball to short and Jenna Laird made the throw home to get the runner attempting to score. It appeared that the Tigers would get out of the inning after a strikeout, but a two-out base hit to left made it 4-1 for Georgia.
In the bottom half, Jenna Laird knocked the first pitch back up the middle for a base hit. Wilmes popped a ball up on the infield that was dropped, but Laird could not advance to second. After Wilmes moved around to third on a pair of wild pitches, Wert stepped up to the plate with two outs. She lined a 3-2 offering back up the middle to make it 4-2. Kendyll Bailey singled up the middle to put a pair of runners on, but the inning ended with a strikeout.
Georgia looked to extend the lead in the fifth. After a leadoff single to right, Fields grounded a ball to second that appeared to only have a play at first, but Kendyll Bailey was able to make a quick throw to second to get the lead runner. Davis then doubled to right center to put a pair of runners in scoring position with one out. Krings was able to get the next two batters on a strikeout and a groundout to end the inning.
Casidy Chaumont put the Tigers back on the board with a solo home run to left field in the fifth, her sixth of the season. Trailing just by one, Wert drew a walk and was replaced by Snider. The next batter, Bailey, hit a slow grounder back to the pitcher, who attempted to get the lead runner, but Snider slid in to second safely. Mizzou was unable tie it up, leaving Snider on second.
Megan Schumacher entered in the sixth and put together a pair of clean innings, allowing only an infield single and a walk despite facing the heart of the Georgia lineup.
The Tigers had one last chance to put a run on the board. Gabi Deters reached on an error and moved over to second to put a runner in scoring position with two outs. However, the Tigers could not bring her in to extend the game.
NOTES
Casidy Chaumont extended her extra-base hit streak to five games with her solo home run in the fifth.
She has set a new career-best with her sixth homer of the year, surpassing her 2018 freshman total at Louisiana.
Kendyll Bailey extended her reached base streak to 16 games with her single in the third inning.
Megan Schumacher went two innings with four strikeouts while only allowing one hit and one walk. Her four strikeouts match a season high.
Jenna Laird went 2-for-4 with a pair of singles and a run scored. She leads the team with 14 multi-hit games on the year.
Brooke Wilmes’ base hit in the first inning moved her into a tie for third in program history with her 262nd hit. She joins Mary Babb at 262.
UP NEXT
The Tigers will face Georgia tomorrow at Noon CT for the second game of the series. Game two will air on SEC Network with Amanda Scarborough and Mark Neely on the call.
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