MIzzou Softball Defeated by Kansas in Border War Showdown

Missouri's offense struggled in loss to rival Jayhawks.

May 10, 2024; Auburn, AL, USA; Missouri Tigers relief pitcher Marissa McCann (10) pitches against the LSU Tigers at Jane B. Moore Field. Mandatory Credit: Julie Bennett-Imagn Images | Julie Bennett-Imagn Images

Missouri only managed four hits in its shutout loss to bitter rival Kansas. Jayhawks freshman pitcher Kaelee Washington dominated the Tigers at the plate, helping Kansas to its second-ever shutout of the Tigers in the storied Border War series.

Missouri (18-16) entered Wednesday's contest after a weekend series with then-No. 1 ranked Oklahoma, headlined by a 3-1 victory for the Tigers. However, this upset win would not be the spark Missouri needed to turn its season around. The Tigers, who posses an SEC worst batting average of .274 failed to find any momentum on offense.

Missouri went down early as junior Cierra Harrison was the first to take the mound for the Tigers. Kansas' batter, Presley Limbaugh, set the tone early with a leadoff single. Aynslee Linduff followed this up with a single of her own, bringing Hailey Cripe to the plate. Cripe clobbered a Harrison pitch for a three-run homerun, giving the Kansas a 3-0 in which were the only runs of the game.

Outside the first inning, Missouri only allowed a single hit. Tigers' head coach Larissa Anderson pulled Harrison after the second inning, bringing in Marissa McCann in relief. Despite the loss, McCann delivered a strong performance, stumping the Jayhawks for five innings, only allowing a single hit.

While the Tigers struggled at the plate, they only suffered three strikeouts in the game, often making contact but flying out. Kansas walked five Missouri batters, but none of the baserunners could capitalize on the opportunities. Missouri left seven runners on base throughout the game due to its batting woes.

Missouri returns to SEC competition this weeked for its series with No. 19/21 Ole Miss. The first matchup takes place at 2 p.m. on March 29 as the Tigers travel to Oxford, Miss.