Extra Braggin' Rights: Missouri Softball Sweeps Doubleheader Against Illinois
Considering how tough No. 11/11 Missouri softball's schedule is the rest of the season — each of its seven future SEC opponents are currently ranked — it'd be optimal for the Tigers to capitalize on every game against unranked foes in regards to their hopes of hosting a Regional.
Wednesday presented Larissa Anderson's crew with two of those opportunities. Although Illinois had just swept the Billiken Spring Tournament, the Fighting Illini still sat at just 8-9 on the season.
But despite the large difference in record between Missouri and Illinois, the latter held a lead late in the first game of Wednesday's doubleheader, and the Tigers needed their bats to come alive in the clutch. Through the first 23 games of the season, No. 11/11 Missouri softball hadn't been faced with too many clutch hitting situations.
On Wednesday, however, the Tigers got a chance to be cardiac cats...and they delivered.
Down 4-3 to Illinois with two outs in the top of the seventh, Alex Honnold stepped up to the plate with a runner aboard. She and Jenna Laird had carried the load offensively for the Tigers — prior to Honnold's seventh-inning at-bat, her and Laird combined for five of Missouri's seven hits. If Missouri were to retain Braggin' Rights for at least another couple of hours, Honnold needed to come through.
Illinois pitcher Tori McQueen's 2-1 pitch was low and outside. Honnold had been adept at connecting on outside pitches all season.
This time was no different.
With her bat still metaphorically on fire, Honnold sent the pitch over the wall in left center field to give Missouri a 5-4 lead. In the bottom half of the inning, Taylor Pannell relieved Lily Whitten and sealed the win.
Contrary to Honnold's clutch home run, much of the first game of Wednesday's doubleheader was uneventful. It took a little while for both offenses to pop in Champaign, as the first run wasn't scored until the top of the fourth inning. McQueen and Missouri starter Laurin Krings weren't completely dominating the first few innings, as both allowed numerous base runners. However, they kept exiting unscathed.
That was until the top of the fourth, when Maddie Gallagher scored Honnold on n RBI groundout. That set off a chain reaction of productive offense on both sides, as the ensuing four half-innings featured runs from both teams.
The biggest runs, however, came in the bottom of the fifth. With Krings starting to let up a bit, the Fighting Illini capitalized. Outfielder Stevie Meade stepped up to the plate with runners on second and third. On the surface, Meade didn't seem like an obvious candidate to turn the game upside down. Entering Wednesday, she'd hit just eight home runs in 125 career games.
She quickly made it nine.
Facing a 3-1 count, Meade crushed one over the fence in left center field to give Illinois a 5-4 lead.
As mentioned before, however, that lead didn't hold up for long. Down to their last breath, Honnold gave the Tigers the lead with a two-run home run in the top of the seventh. Pannell shut the door, and Missouri picked up its 21st win of the season.
The second half of the doubleheader was dominated by Missouri. The Tigers jumped on Illinois starter Briana Bower early. A double by Honnold and a single by Julia Crenshaw put two runners on with one out, and Kara Daly brought them home soon after with a three-run blast to left field.
After Gallagher added onto the lead in the top of the third with an RBI single, Illinois got two back with a home run by Kelly Ryono.
Then, in the top of the fifth, the avalanche commenced.
Missouri had experienced power surges many times this season, and it struck Urbana-Champaign on Wednesday. By the end of the inning, the Tigers had batted around the lineup; Laird started the inning with a single, and she ended her inning with another single, the latter of which was an RBI that made the score 10-2 in favor of the road team. Sandwiched in-between Laird's at-bats were RBIs from Gallagher, Katie Chester and Madison Walker.
In the bottom half of the inning, Cierra Harrison ended the game by retiring Illinois 1-2-3 that moved her to 9-0 on the season. It was Missouri's fifth run-rule win of the season.
On the day, Laird and Honnold led the way at the plate, going a combined 5/8 and 5/7, respectively. Gallagher and Chester both went 2/3 in the second game. Missouri also stole a combined five bases and only registered one strikeout in the second game.
Missouri will remain on the road for its next series, as the Tigers will travel to Knoxville for another border-state battle with No. 5/5 Tennessee. First pitch is set for 5 p.m. on Friday.