Late Home Runs Lift Mizzou Softball to Thrilling Win over No. 24 Georgia

On Thursday, an all-too-familiar story was unfolding for Mizzou softball against No. 24 Georgia.

Then, a pair of unlikely heroes rewrote it.

Down 2-1 in the bottom of the sixth, Mya Dodge and Abbie Wilhelm hit back-to-back home runs, which proved to be the daggers in the hearts of the Bulldogs. The heroics gave the Tigers a 4-2 victory, snapping a three-game losing streak for MU.

Dodge, who pinch-hit for Kayley Lenger, was an unexpected source of power, as her go-ahead two-run home run was just her second blast of the season. Wilhelm's shot was even more surprising; it wasn't the freshman's first career home run, but her first career hit as well. Entering Thursday, she'd appeared in just eight games and hadn't seen any action since April 13. By night's end, she was on top of the Mizzou softball world.

For the most part, Marissa McCann was stupendous in the circle, tallying seven strikeouts in six innings of work. But similarly to other outings, a few swift swings of the bat almost outweighed everything else she accomplished on Thursday.

One of those mistakes came against UGA senior Lyndi Rae Davis, who's has been a pillar of consistency for the Bulldogs. A four-year starter, Rae Davis has started all but one game this season. Facing a 3-2 count in the top of the second, the two-strike demons struck again for McCann, as Davis hit just her second home run of the season. The ball barely left the diamond, hitting the top of the wall in left center field and bouncing into the berm. She went 2-of-3 on the evening, snapping her first hitless streak since March; this one only lasted two games.

In the top of the sixth, Jaydyn Goodwin hit a go-ahead solo home run to put UGA up 2-1. However, MU's offense picked up the slack, and Taylor Pannell shut the door in the seventh, retiring the Bulldogs in order for her second save of the season and first since March 22.

Earlier in the game, Mizzou had a chance to take a big-time lead. In the bottom of the first, Madison Uptegrove took a five-pitch walk to load the bases following Daly's sacrifice fly. Lenger, whose bat cooled off last series against RV/25 Alabama (0-for-7 with three strikeouts), couldn't warm it back up, as she struck out swinging to end the inning.

Luckily for the Tigers, their bats caught fire when the stakes were the highest.

Mizzou will look to keep momentum going against Georgia on Friday; first pitch is set for 5 p.m. CT. A win would mark the first (and only) SEC series win for the Tigers this season.