Tigers remain undefeated in midweek tilts, beat Drake 7-1

On a gloomy but warm evening with bad weather threatening, the Missouri Tigers beat the Drake Bulldogs (6-17) convincingly to remain undefeated in midweek games and pick up their 20th win of the season. The Tigers rode a great pitching performance by Lee’s Summit freshman Cierra Harrison and some great defensive stops to halt any sort of Bulldog momentum, along with the bats of Alex Honnold and Kara Daly to come out on top.

Let’s recap.

CC Harrison was an absolute force in this one, showing off her skills in the circle and striking out three straight in the 1st and 3rd while allowing a lone single in the 2nd. After stranding one in the first, the Tigers’ bats came alive in the bottom of the 2nd as Chantice Phillips, on base with a walk, scored on a Payton Jackson double, making it 1-0 and forcing a pitching change.

In the bottom of the 3rd, Alex Honnold led off with a single and swiped her 12th bag of the season (and her first of four in the game) before Kara Daly SMASHED a two-run line dive shot right out over the left field wall to make it 3-0 Mizzou.

Harrison had another three up, three down inning in the 4th, and the Tigers were able to add to their total in the home half. Jackson led off with a walk and then swiped 2B before taking 3B on a wild pitch. After a pitching change, Jenna Laird was able to reach first on an errant throw, but was thrown out at 2B trying to extend the play. Before the out, PJ scored though, making it 4-0 Mizzou.

In Harrison’s final inning of work, the Bulldogs worked a leadoff walk and a wild pitch to get their first runner of the contest into scoring position. After her eighth K of the evening, Harrison allowed another walk to have two aboard with two out. What followed was a gorgeous defensive display. A double into left center was played beautifully by Alex Honnold, who was able to stop the damage by firing a strike to Laird, whose throw to Julia Crenshaw at home ended the inning and stopped another run from scoring.

In the bottom of the inning, Honnold again led off with a single and followed that with the swiping of another bag. Crenshaw then reached on an error and both were brought home by a CRUSHING two-run single by Kara Daly (I’d call it a double, but the announcers said it was ruled a single with an extra base) to make it 6-1 Missouri. Mizzou tacked on another run with an RBI single by Phillips, but the Tigers ultimately blew their chance to end the game early by run rule after the CF made a great catch to end the inning with the bases loaded.

Laurin Krings took over in the circle for Harrison in the 6th, and immediately was awarded an out on an illegal pinch hitter. A strikeout was followed by two singles before another strikeout ended the inning. In the bottom of the inning, the Tigers executed some baserunning magic after Honnold — stop me if this sounds familiar — got aboard with a single and swiped 2B. After Daly walked, they executed an extremely entertaining double steal that ended with Alex kinda rolling over at 3B? She was safe (both on the play and health-wise), but it was humorous to watch for sure. Unfortunately, the baserunning heroics didn’t award Missouri with any additional runs, and they were both stranded.

With three outs to go, Krings hit the second batter of the inning to get a runner on before a beautiful double play from 2B Maddie Gallagher to SS Laird to 1B Katie Chester ended the game with Mizzou victorious, 7-1.

Karen’s MVP

It’s a tie between The Base Thief, Alex Honnold, and Kara Daly. Without Alex on base 6 million times (it felt like anyway), Kara’s hard hit balls would not have given her 4 RBI on the day.

Honorable Mention: Cierra Harrison. So many K and kept the Bulldogs’ bats at bay (it rhymes!)

Hot Stats

• Alex Honnold: 3-4 with 2 runs scored and 4 stolen bases
• Julia Crenshaw: 0-4 with a run scored,
• Kara Daly: 2-4 with 2 runs scored, 4 RBI, a double, a homer, a walk, and a stolen base
• Chantice Phillips: 1-3 with a run scored, an RBI, and a walk
• Payton Jackson: 1-2 with a run scored, an RBI, a double, and a stolen base
• Cierra Harrison: 5 IP | 2 hits | 1 double | 1 ER | 8 SO | 2 BB | 88 pitches
• Laurin Krings: 2 IP | 2 hits | 2 SO | 1 HBP | 28 pitches

HITTING OVERALL: 7 runs | 9 hits | 6 RBI | 2 2B| 1 HR | 5 BB | 3 SO (1 looking) | 9 SB | 9 LOB | .321 BA | .833 (5-6) leadoff | .235 RISP

PITCHING OVERALL: 4 hits | 1 ER | 2 BB | 10 SO | 1 WP | 1 HBP | 1 XBH | 2.62 ERA | .174 Opp BA

UP NEXT: A Saturday-Monday date with the blue & orange Tigers of Auburn in Alabama