Mizzou Softball Drops SEC Opener to Kentucky

Following an up-and-down non-conference slate, Mizzou looked for a positive start to SEC play on Friday. However, the Tigers will have to wait for their first conference win, as they fell to Kentucky 6-4.

The game's key moment came in the bottom of the third. With two outs and two runners in scoring position, Kentucky's Cassie Reasner stepped up to the plate. On an 0-1 count, she golfed a low pitch from Marissa McCann over the fence in left center field. The three-run home run put the Wildcats up 4-2; the blast also put Reasner in a tie for the team lead in home runs with Peyton Plotts.

Kentucky would add another run after Lauryn Borzilleri doubled home McKenzie Bump. Mizzou mounted a bit of a comeback, scoring twice in the top of the fifth to pull within one. But those would be the final runs of the game for the Tigers, as their fate would be the same as two seasons ago, when they also lost their first SEC game against UK.

Once again, Crenshaw was MU's best hitter, going 2-of-4, including a towering solo home run in the top of the third. Friday marked her eighth multi-hit game of the season, the most of any Tiger so far. It was also her fourth game with an RBI in MU's last five contests. Claire Cahalan was also stellar at the plate, going 2-of-4 as well for her fifth multi-hit game of 2025.

However, Mizzou's offensive issues in the SEC opener sat with almost everyone outside of Crenshaw and Cahalan. Kara Daly, Madison Walker, Taylor Ebbs, Stefania Abruscato, Madison Uptegrove, Abby Hay and Kayley Lenger combined to hit 2-of-17. The only hits came courtesy of Uptegrove, who scored former Wildcat Taylor Ebbs on a triple in the top of the second, and Daly, who hit a single in the top of the seventh.

Marissa McCann couldn't shake her early-season struggles, allowing seven hits, five earned runs and four walks in five and one-thirds innings of work. Taylor Pannell entered the game in the bottom of the sixth, giving up one run on a bases-loaded walk. However, she struck out two batters to limit the damage. Unfortunately for MU, the offense couldn't muster up more production in the top of the seventh.

Game two of the series is set for Saturday at 2 p.m. CT.