The Battle of Columbias has been decided

It’s been a tough few weeks for the Mizzou Softball and Baseball squads.

Larissa Anderson’s team, once ranked in the low teens, has struggled mightily since mid-March. After sweeping Illinois for Braggin’ Rights, the Tigers have gone 1-7, including a series sweep at the hands of Ole Miss and a midweek pounding from 12-20 Kansas. Their record had fallen all the way to 19-13, a shocking turn for a team that expected to host an NCAA Super Regional at the season’s beginning.

The Tigers got right just in time. After battling to take the first two games of their weekend series against 18-17 South Carolina, Mizzou was able to secure a sweep on Sunday, taking the final game of the series 2-1. It brings their season record back to 22-13 and stops the bleeding that saw them fall out of favor at the top of the SEC.

It was a tightly contested contest from the top, with (who else?) Kimberly Wert tying the game in the bottom of the first frame by almost socking yet another dinger.

Kendyll Bailey played the hero on Sunday, however, socking a solo homer in the 8th to put the Tigers ahead for good.

The Tigers likely kept themselves in the Top 25 for another cycle, with four games on deck in the coming week.

The baseball team, on the other hand, wasn’t as desperate for a win, but they did need some positive momentum in conference play. Opening with Vanderbilt and Arkansas isn’t the easiest draw, but they needed to show they could handle the lesser teams when they came along. South Carolina — who just took 2 of 3 from Vanderbilt in their own right — came into the series at 12-12 and offered that very opportunity.

After splitting the first two games, Missouri entered Sunday’s rubber match motivated and took the Gamecocks to the woodshed, sealing the series victory in a 10-3 drubbing.

It was a group effort to secure win number 17th, but junior pitcher Austin Mazoras was the star of the day. He went 6.2 innings with 10 strikeouts, exiting the game with a 6-3 lead that the offense would widen. Luke Mann provided the pop, homering once and driving in four on the day.

Missouri will try to go back to 10 games above .500 this week when they square off against — guess who? — Kansas.

Yesterday at Rock M

• In which Sam lists the transfers Dennis Gates is known to be courting and singles out a few that could be in black and gold sooner or later

More Links:

• In case you didn’t hear over the weekend: MIZZOU GYMNASTICS IS HEADED TO THE NCAA SEMIS! Mizzou barely edged UCLA to come second in the group (behind No. 3 Michigan) and reach their first semifinal since 2010. They’ll share a grouping with Michigan, as well as two other SEC programs: No. 2 Florida and No. 7 Auburn, the latter of whom features Olympic gold medalist Suni Lee.
• It would be pretty rad if Dennis Gates got Aidan Shaw to re-up his commitment with Missouri.

No reason I’m saying so. Just thought it was worth a mention.

• Mizzou Tennis fell to 6-11 on the season, dropping their weekend match to No. 29 Tennessee 4-0. Despite the loss, Head Coach Chris Wooten was proud of the team’s effort.

“Best all around performance of the year today. We came together as a unit and every player on and off the court knew their role and performed at a high level” said head coach Chris Wootton. ”We are holding a high level and I look forward to going to Mississippi next week and getting two more SEC wins!

• Kara Daly’s decision to choose Mizzou Softball over a potential career in basketball was profiled over at the Trib.
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