RECAP: Get out those brooms cuz it’s a SWEEEEEEEEP

We’ll just leave this here and get to the recap, ok?

GAME ONE: Mizzou 13, Kentucky 0 | 5 innings

Check out my recap here.

Stat Lines

Missouri Offense: 13 R | 11 H | 11 RBI | 1 2B | 3 HR | 2 BB | 4 SO | 3 LOB

Weber’s stats: 5 IP | 5 H | 0 R | 0 BB | 7 SO | 1 WP | 21 BF | 7 FO | 1 GO | 74 pitches

Kentucky Offense: 0 R | 5 H | 0 BB | 7 SO | 6 LOB

Gayan’s stats: 1 IP | 4 H | 3 R | 3 ER | 1 HBP | 1 2B | 1 HR | 7 BF | 22 pitches

Stoddard’s stats: 3 IP | 5 H | 6 R | 0 ER | 3 K | 1 HBP | 1 HR | 17 BF | 53 pitches

Sullivan’s stats: 0 IP | 2 H | 4 R | 4 ER | 2 BB | 1 HR | 5 BF | 20 pitches

Lacatena’s stats: 1 IP | 1 K | 3 BF | 8 pitches

GAME TWO: Mizzou 8, Kentucky 7

This game was wild, y’all, and featured SIX lead changes. But a win is a win is a BIG OL’ W-I-N and assured the Tigers of a really important series win.

While both teams got runners on base in the first inning with Tatum Spangler and Laurin Krings on the mound, respectively, neither team was able to bring the runners home... this inning. Mizzou got on the board first in the top half of the second on a solo shot by Kara Daly.

But, Kentucky answered right back in the bottom of the inning after an RBI single tied it up 1-1. With two outs, Tiger killer Kayla Kowalik smashed two-run homer to CF to give the Wildcats a 3-1 lead. Had this been the Tigers team of a few weeks ago, you probably would have been thinking, “Oh, kansas. Game over.” But y’all, this team is BACK, and they were not going down without several rounds of fights in this one.

In the top of the third, the see-sawing score continued as Mizzou tied it up on a two-run shot by Kim “The Masher” Wert, and in the fourth, the Tigers took the lead on an RBI single by Jenna Laird, which scored PR Maddie Snider. It was 4-3 Tigers... til it wasn’t.

Surprise! Kentucky knotted the score up at 4 in the bottom of the fourth after the Cats got runners on the corners with two outs after two walks (one intentional). Specs was able to keep any extra runs from scoring though, and stranded two Cats on base. In the top of the fifth, Missouri was able to add two more runs after a pair of one-out walks and an Alex Honnold RBI single scored one run, and a Daly hard-hit grounder to the pitcher (an error) scored another, making it 6-4 Mizzou.

The Wildcats, not ready to give this thing away just yet, responded in the bottom of the fifth with new Mizzou pitcher Megan Schumacher. A walk, a single, and a truly unfortunate error the normally steady Emma Raabe gave way to a runner advancing to third. The Tigers then brought in the recently underused Emma Nichols to patch up the suddenly leaky defense, and her lead-off groundout advanced a runner to third and scored another. And then a two-run shot by PH Renee Abernathy made it 7-6 UK.... Yikes.

Kentucky’s happiness was short-lived, however, as in the top of the sixth, Mizzou — you guessed it — tied it back up AGAIN, this time with a Brooke Wilmes solo shot, making it 7-7.

Jordan Weber entered the game in the bottom of the sixth, despite pitching the night before, and produced a the game’s first perfect inning on a ground out and two subsequent fly outs. Our pitching savior Jo had done it again, and left it to her teammates to get the offense going once last time to take the win. And they did! In the top of the top of the seventh, Honnold led off with a double. As Daly grounded out, Alex moved over to third. Emma Raabe then drove in the go-ahead run with a single down the left field line to make it 8-7. Weber came back out to shut it down in another three-up, three-down fashion (three fly balls this time) and the wild win was preserved!

V-I-C-T-O-R-Y

Stat Lines

Missouri Offense: 8 R | 11 H | 7 RBI | 3 HR | 5 XBH | 4 BB | 5 K | 8 LOB

Specs’ stats: 4 IP | 6 H | 4 R | 4 ER | 2 XBH | 3 BB | 2 SO | 0 WP | 17 BF | 67 pitches

Megan’s stats: 0.1 IP | 1 H | 2 R | 0 ER | 1 BB | 3 BF | 13 pitches

Emma’s stats: 0.2 IP | 1 H | 1 R | 1 XBH | 3 BF | 12 pitches

Weber’s stats: 2 IP | 0 H | 0 R | 6 BF | 28 pitches | Win

Kentucky Offense: 7 R | 8 H | 7 RBI | 4 BB | 2 SO | 5 LOB

Spangler’s stats: 7 IP | 11 H | 8 R | 7 ER | 4 BB | 5 SO | 1 WP | 5 XBH | 37 BF | 132 pitches (wow)

What Went Well

• According to Paul’s MUTigers.com recap (thanks, Paul), after Kara Daly’s solo shot in the second, the Tigers scored at least one run in each of the last six innings. That is super impressive.
• For those keeping track (Paul is), Mizzou has 24 extra base hits, including SIXTEEN homers, over its last six games. The great thing about this? The Tigers are doing more than just hitting home runs. And they’re starting to hit them with [shocker] people on base. You truly love to see it.
• Several Tigers had great days at the plate, including Brooke Wilmes, Emma Raabe, and Alex Honnold, who were each 2-for-4. In fact, the only Tiger not to get a hit in the game was Kendyll Bailey (she’ll make up for it in Game 3).
• Out of the Tigers’ five strikeouts, only one was looking, and no one had more than one strikeout. Progress!
• Missouri hit .333 in the game (vs UK’s .286), and while overall, they didn’t hit that well with runners on, when said runners were in scoring position, the Tigers hit .364 (UK was equally impressive at .375).

What Didn’t

• The Tigers’ situational hitting wasn’t as good in this game, as they hit only .222 with two outs, compared to Kentucky’s .364, and only .250 with runners on, compared to Kentucky’s .375.
• Missouri had some trouble with leading off this game as well, as they hit only .143 (vs UK’s astonishing .429).

Karen’s Players of the Game

• Kim “Unstoppable” Wert: Kim continued her recent stretch of dominance as she smashed that two-run shot in the third and also drew three walks.
• Brooke Wilmes: Brooke was 2-for-4 and had a game-tying solo homer.
• Emma Raabe: In her fourth multi-hit game of her career, Emma’s game-winning RBI single in the 7th literally won the game for Missouri.
• Jordan Weber: Jo came in to shut the Kentucky’s offense down, and did just that, pitching two perfect innings. She didn’t allow a baserunner, and got the W for her effort.

GAME THREE: Mizzou 9, Kentucky 1 | 5 innings

Hot damn! What a way to put an exclamation point on the series, huh? Mizzou’s offensive explosion continued, as Brooke Wilmes put the Tigers out front in the first with a solo shot to center. Kentucky, as they have been this series, was quick to respond however, as another Tiger killer, reigning SEC POW Erin Coffel (If Wert doesn’t get the honor this week, we riot) hit a solo shot of her own, knotting things at 1 apiece.

In the top of the third, in what seemed to be the longest inning in existence, the Tigers took this one over. They loaded the bases with nobody out on a HBP, a FC, and a Jenna Laird single, before — you guessed it —Wilmes smacked a double into right center to give the Tigers a 3-1 lead. Casidy Chaumont walked to load the bases again for Kim “The Great and Powerful” Wert, who absolutely SMMMMMAAASSSSHHHHHHEEEDDDD a grand slam clear over the scoreboard to give the Tigers a 7-1 lead. The Tigers threatened more runs in the inning, but ultimately just succeeded in ratcheting up Schoonover’s pitch count as Bailey flied out after 5 pitches, Honnold singled after 5 pitches, Daly grounded out after 4 pitches, and Frizell (PH for Raabe) flied out on 2 pitches.

Jo came back out in the third and was able to keep the Wildcats off the scoreboard after they got two runners in scoring position with two outs. With Coffel at the plate, Weber forced a groundout, and ended their last threat.

In the top of the fifth, Kendyll Bailey ensured the run-rule would go into effect, as she smashed a two-run shot to center to give the Tigers a 9-1 lead with a half inning to go. It seemed appropriate that at this time rain started to fall in Lexington, as the Wildcats’ hope of bringing home a single win this series were washed away with a 1-2-3 inning by Weber.

V-I-C-T-O-R-I-O-U-S again.

Stat Lines

Missouri Offense: 8 R | 11 H | 7 RBI | 3 HR | 5 XBH | 4 BB | 5 K | 8 LOB

Weber’s stats: 5 IP | 2 H | 1 R | 1 ER | 2 BB | 2 SO | 1 HR | 19 BF | 60 pitches | WIN

Kentucky Offense: 1 R | 2 H | 1 RBI | 1 HR | 2 BB | 2 K | 3 LOB

Schoonover’s stats: 2 IP | 5 H | 7 R | 7 ER | 2 BB | 1 SO | 1 HBP | 3 XBH | 2 HR | 13 BF | 66 pitches | LOSS

Lacatena’s stats: 3 IP | 4 H | 2 R | 2 ER | 4 K | 1 HR | 13 BF | 57 pitches

What Went Well

• Mizzou hit .391 as a team (vs. a paltry .125 for UK), including .364 with runners on and .750 with runners in scoring position. The Tigers’ lead off batters hit .600 (vs. UK’s .200).
• Honnold’s hot weekend hitting continued, as she was 2-for-3.
• Kendyll Bailey, who had been (surprisingly) hitless all weekend, helped out her teammates in the best way with a two-run bomb, her 10th of the year.
• Let this stat sink in: Schoonover, in TWO innings of work had MORE pitches than Jo in FIVE innings of work.
• Jenna Laird, who was held hitless in Game 2, was 1-for-3 in Game 3, with a hit and a run.

What Didn’t? (this is a stretch)

• Kara Daly struggled in this one and was held hitless. Chaumont was also hitless, but she was aboard twice with walks so I’m not that concerned about her. I just want Kara to get back on track, as it appeared she was.
• Two of Mizzou’s five strikeouts were looking (Wert, Daly, Raabe). One of these was questionable.

Karen’s Players of the Game

• KIM “THE HOME RUN” WERT: Wert’s unbelievable series continued, as she was 2-for-3 with a grand slam and 4 RBI. She was 6-for-7 in the series, and drove in a whopping 13 runs. Wert is now eighth on the all-time leader board in RBI with 153.
• BROOKE WILMES: Wilmes’ recent torrid hitting pace continued, as she was 2-for-3 with a homer and a double with 3 RBI. This was her third straight multi-hit game, and she’s hit safely and driven in a run in seven consecutive contests. She is in a tie for first with 99 extra base hits now. Pretty impressive.
• JORDAN “ALL I DO IS WIN THESE DAYS” WEBER: Make that another win for Jo, who pitched three games this weekend, and won all of ‘em. She’s got 11 wins now.

Up Next

Tune in to SEC+ for Mizzou’s make-up game against SLU at 4pm on Weds!