Mizzou Softball Silenced by Heavener in Blowout Loss to LSU

Missouri softball's winning streak ended at five on Thursday, as MU fell 9-1 to No. 20/22 LSU.

There were a multitude of reasons why the Beyou Bengals won the series-opener, but none were bigger than LSU star pitcher Jayden Heavener. The 2025 Freshman All-American was nearly untouchable: she tossed 11 strikeouts, the most she's ever had against an SEC opponent (seven of them came in the first eight batters she faced). Heavener also gave up just five hits, and all of them were singles.

"She's unbelievable," MU head coach Larissa Anderson said. "We've got to stay disciplined and lay off that high pitch. She threw it extremely well through the zone, and we just kept expanding up, which put ourselves in the hole."

Anderson's crew had a few chances to break through, but they came up short each time. The home Tigers had multiple runners in scoring position in each of the game's final four innings, but they went 0-of-6 in those situations.

The only non-out came on a bases-loaded, two-out walk from freshman Gracie Britton in the bottom of the sixth, which represented MU's only run of the game. Britton was pinch-hitting for left fielder Claire Cahalan.

"You can see what we can do when we stay disciplined," Anderson said. "But it was just too little, too late."

In fairness to Missouri, one of those opportunities featured LSU center fielder Jaila Lassiter making a diving catch in center field, robbing second baseman Sophie Smith of a would-be hit in the bottom of the sixth.

LSU also scored seven runs in the top of the sixth to blow the game wide open. Tori Edwards knocked MU starting pitcher Cierra Harrison out of the game with a two-run home run, and relief pitcher Courtney Donahue got roughed up even more despite getting two quick outs.

"I think we just got a little bit complacent out there," Anderson said.

LSU tallied two RBI singles in three batters, and a two-run home run by Kylee Edwards eliminated whatever air was left in Mizzou Softball Stadium.

"(Donahue) left the ball too much over the plate," Anderson said. "She didn't move the ball the way she normally can ... I think her off-speed was too close to her hard stuff, so there wasn't a big enough speed differential, and that's what was getting hit."

For the most part, Harrison did enough to give the home Tigers a fighting chance early on. Through four innings, she allowed just four hits and two earned runs. But Edwards' home run knocked her out of the game, and LSU opened the floodgates shortly after.

Thursday was Missouri's first loss in a game in which Harrison pitched since March 8 against Florida. MU had won eight straight of those games entering Thursday.

Missouri dropped to 20-19 on the season. Game No. 2 of the series is set to start at 3 p.m. on Friday.

"We've got to rebound," Anderson said. "I'd like to see us fight a little bit harder."

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