Missouri Softball Falls to Auburn, Can't Complete Series Sweep
One trait that's defined Missouri softball in 2024 was energy. Whether it's been from the players on the field or the bench, the Tigers have been loud, proud and, most importantly, often victorious.
On Sunday, Auburn siphoned all of that energy.
Behind a dominant pitching performance from Maddie Penta and a pair of home runs from Amelia Lech, Auburn avoided the sweep with a 4-0 victory. The win moved Penta to 7-2-1 on the season, while the loss dropped Laurin Krings to 8-3.
The first two innings saw both pitchers control the game. It was round two of a clash of titans between Krings and Penta, and both brought their A-game's on Sunday.
For Penta, was looking to rebound after a porous start in the first game of the series, and she looked rejuvenated to start Sunday's contest. Over the first three innings, Penta's only blemishes were two singles from Jenna Laird and a "double" from Maddie Gallagher (the ball ricocheted off of first baseman Amelia Lech, but it was scored as a double). The home Tigers weren't making very good contact, which opposed the previous two games.
On the other side, Krings was less dominant, but she kept Auburn at bay through two innings. Krings got out of a jam in the top of the first, as she struck out Lech with runners on second and third base.
However, the third inning brought Missouri its first real trouble since Friday. After Auburn's porous defensive outing on Saturday, it was Missouri who began struggling defensively on Sunday. A passed ball allowed Abbey Smith to advance to second, and it didn't take her long to make it home.
Makayla Packer hit a fly ball into shallow left field, and Chantice Phillips went to dive for it. Unfortunately for Phillips, her diving attempt came up short, and the ball scurried all the way to the wall. Packer legged out a triple, and Auburn was on the board first.
Heading into the top of the fourth, Larissa Anderson made a pitching change, relieving Krings for Marissa McCann. It was the first time a pitcher not named Laurin Krings or Cierra Harrison had pitched, and McCann's outing was as even as the number of players Missouri had in the field.
On McCann's sixth pitch of the afternoon, Lech hit a fly ball that barely cleared the fence in left field for a solo home run. The next batter, Icess Tresvik, ripped a single to right field. On the surface, McCann had only allowed one run, but in a game where offense was hard to come by, that home run felt like it was worth more than one run.
Shortly after, Krings subbed back into the game looking to quell the other Tigers; instead, they kept roaring. After an Anna Wohlers double, Lech sent a ball over the hill in left field for her second home run of the day to put Auburn up 4-0.
After Krings allowed two more base runners, Anderson made another pitching change, this time relieving Krings for Taylor Pannell.
While Pannell weathered the storm with three strikeouts, Missouri still couldn't catch lightning in a bottle at the plate. The home Tigers showed glimmers of hope in the bottom of the seventh, as Katie Chester and Mya Dodge both reached base on two-strike counts. However, there would be no comeback in Columbia, as pinch-hitter Stefania Abruscato struck out to end the game.
The Tigers will hit the road for their next set of games, which is a midweek doubleheader against Illinois on Wednesday. The first game is set for 1 p.m., while the second game is set for 3:30 p.m.