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Tigers win 2 on Specs-tacular pitching against Illinois

Mizzou Links & Softball Recap for March 15

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Braggin Rights Wins x 2

Our lovely Mizzou Softball team (18-9) held their annual Braggin Rights doubleheader against the Illinois Fighting Illini (16-9) on Tuesday afternoon in the bitter cold winter middle of March. While the team surely froze their booties off, I semi-watched/fully listened to the game while at work. Hey, I can’t take off work all the time (I’m already taking off at noon Thurs for the Mizzou tourney game).

Game One

The Tigers struck first in this one, and it was a welcome sight to see on my computer screen after the weekend’s offensive ineptitude (that sounds harsh, apologies). Alex Honnold used some savvy baserunning to stretch a single into a double and send Jenna Laird (HBP #1) to 3B, before Chantice Phillips’ bunt resulted in a botched throw that put her on 3B and two runs across the plate.

Both offenses settled down for a long winter’s mid-March nap for a bit in the middle innings and Jordan Weber had retired 9 straight as of the 5th inning, her single blemish being a walk in the 3rd. In the bottom of the 5th, after Megan Moll led off with a walk and took second on a Maddie Snider sac bunt, Alex unleashed a mighty double, making it 3-0 Tigers.

In the top of the 6th inning, Illinois finally plated its first run after a leadoff double and subsequent single and sac hit made it 3-1. The Tigers couldn’t add on to their lead in the bottom of the inning, though they did add to the day’s bumps n bruises as Kara Daly became the #3 hit by a pitch victim (CP was #2 in the 4th). And finally, in the top of the 7th, the Illini tried to make things interesting, leading off with a solo homer to LF. After a visit to the circle, Jo got herself back together and sent down the final three batters on a K, a flyout, and another K.

Overall, Jordan Weber did a nice job in this game, especially considering the cold weather, which she had trouble with last season. Things only really got rocky that one inning, and I was so happy with how she did I thought about adding in a little punny action for her in the title (something like Jo-yous, or Jo-yful, but I don’t know guys, that seemed like a stretch and I couldn’t even pronounce it when workshopping the idea with my dad).

Hot Stats

  • Jenna Laird: 0-2 w/ a run scored and a HBP
  • Alex Honnold: 2-3 w/ a run scored, an RBI, and a double
  • Chantice Phillips: 1-2 w/a HBP
  • Megan Moll: 0-1 w/ a walk and a run scored
  • Jordan Weber: 7 inning CG, 3 H, 1 BB, 5 K and 2 ER (91 pitches)

OFFENSE OVERALL: 3 R | 3 H | 1 RBI | 1 2B | 9 K (3 looking) | 3 HBP | 4 LOB | .158 BA | .143 w/ 2 outs | .250 w/ runners on | .222 RISP

PITCHING OVERALL: CG | 3 H | 1 2B | 1 HR (solo) | 1 BB | 5 K | 2 ER | .130 Opp BA

Game Two: MIZ 7 | ILL 0

I tell ya, I was so confused to tune in and see the same Game 1 pitcher on the mound for Illinois... I spent a good 5+ minutes trying to determine if I was on the wrong feed. So with Sydney Sickels back on the mound for ILL, Mizzou got off to a hot start with an Alex Honnold double, which scored Jenna Laird, who was on with a single. Kara Daly’s RBI double brought home another run, and Mizzou took an early lead, 2-0.

After the initial couple of runs, Mizzou’s offense got a little frostbitten and they stopped scoring. The one thing that surely kept them awake? GETTING PLUNKED BY ILLINI PITCHERS. After 3 Tigers were hit in Game 1, Illinois got right back to it, plunking Honnold in the 3rd, then Snider & Crenshaw in the 5th. Also in the 5th, the offense re-emerged from its temporary hibernation, as after the aforementioned Snider HBP, Illinois pitcher Addy Jarvis, who had entered in the 3rd for Sickels, walked both Honnold and Laird, loading the bases with one out. That took her out of the game for Tori McQueen, who promptly hit JC, which brought a run home. After Frizell struck out (she’s got to get her plate discipline back, y’all), Kara Daly let loose a 3-run triple, and then scored on a Maddie Gallagher single to LF. That made the score 7-0, which is how it would end.

Laurin Krings, AKA Specs, was nothing short of SPECS-tacular in this one. (You see what I did there? You’re welcome). She allowed all of three hits— one in the 2nd, and 2 bloopy hits to the Illini in the 4th before retiring every single Illini batter after that. It was incredible (and worthy of clever, yet terrible puns).

To review, here was Krings’ performance: 1st inning— K, FO, GO | 2nd inning— Foul out (on a magnificent play by Gallagher), K, single, K | 3rd— 3 GO on 3 pitches | 4th— GO, 2 bloop singles, K, K | 5th— K, FO, K | 6th— GO, K, K | 7th— GO, K, K (looking!)

It was so bad-ass.

Hot Stats

  • Jenna Laird: 1-3 w/ 2 runs scored, 1 BB
  • Alex Honnold: 1-1 w/ 2 runs scored, a double and a HBP
  • Julia Crenshaw: 0-1 w/ a run scored, a sac bunt, and a HBP
  • Kara Daly: 2-4 w/ a run scored, 4 RBI, a double and a triple
  • Maddie Gallagher: 2-3 w/ an RBI (also 1 LOB & 1 CS)

OFFENSE OVERALL: 7 R | 6 H | 7 RBI | 2 2B | 1 3B | 2 BB | 5 K (3 looking, ew) | 3 HBP | 1 SAC | 3 LOB | 1 CS | .273 BA | .333 BA w/ 2 outs | .500 w/ RISP

PITCHING OVERALL: CG | 3 H | 11 K | 81 pitches | .125 OppBA

On to the Links!

I love this team so so so so so so so so so so so so soooooooooooooo much


Yesterday at Rock M


More Links:

Men’s Hoops

Brown becomes just the third student-athlete in program history to collect Academic All-America accolades, as voted on by College Sports Communicators, and the first in 40 years. He joins Kim Anderson in 1977 and Steve Stipanovich in 1983 as Tigers to earn the highest academic honor in the sport.

Women’s Hoops

  • Hear from Robin Pingeton talk about her team’s performance and the opportunity in front of them
  • Hear from Haley Troup, who wants to go out with a bang. I have to wonder if the team will come out swinging not only because they are a competitive, fiery bunch, but also because they want to leave the season with their coach firmly still in the head coach's chair.

Football

  • Fun, fun. Nate hates the logos the kids like. Nate hates fun.
  • Congrats, Spring Ball Players of the Day!

Other Mizzou Sports

  • SWIM & DIVE: Women’s Swim & Dive Heads to NCAA Championships (per MUTigers.com)
  • VOLLEYBALL: Dawn Sullivan’s new staff continues to come together. Yesterday, Josh introduced the new Director of Ops. Over the weekend, it was the new S&C coach!
  • SOCCER: This looks so fun!!!

Other Mizzou Stuff

  • Giant human John Bol has some words about Dennis Gates, who continues to recruit him heavily.

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