No. 11/13 Softball Sweeps Day Two of Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic

CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. – The No. 11/13 ranked University of Missouri softball team (13-1) earned two victories on day two of the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic Friday evening at Big League Dreams Fenway Park.

Mizzou improved to 13-1 in 2024, first defeating Central Florida (6-5), 5-1, in game one, before topping Cal State Fullerton (8-4) in the nightcap, 3-0. 

No. 11/13 Mizzou 5, Central Florida 1

The Tigers would threaten early, with their first two batters getting on before Kara Daly smacked a two-run single through the right side of the infield to take a 2-0 lead.

Mizzou’s offense would pick back up in the next inning, as Alex Honnold would connect on a two-out double to right and score Jenna Laird for the second time in the game.

Central Florida would get one back in the top of the fourth, as a solo shot from Chloe Evans cut into the Tiger lead. It was the first extra-base hit Laurin Krings‘ allowed in the contest. Krings would quickly settle down, coaxing a groundout and striking out a pair to keep the lead at 3-1.

Missouri added a pair of insurance runs, first in the bottom of the fifth when Mya Dodge brought home Danielle Blackstun, giving the Tigers a 4-1 lead. Blackstun came on as a pinch runner after Daly was plunked by a pitch. She would advance to third after a sacrifice bunt and a groundout before touching home on Dodge’s RBI single. 

Then it was Julia Crenshaw driving in Honnold to put MU ahead 5-1 in the sixth. Honnold posted a two-out base hit before proceeding to steal second and score off Crenshaw’s RBI. 

Senior Laurin Krings went the distance in the circle for the complete game victory, allowing just one run on six hits to go with five strikeouts. 

GAME NOTES

• Alex Honnold’s 4-for-4 performance at the plate marked her second career 4-for-4 game. She added two runs, two stolen bases and an RBI.
• Alex Honnold’s four hits tied a career high set on April 29, 2022, against Texas A&M.
• It marked the first two-double outing since Jenna Laird posted the feat against Cal on May 9, 2023. 
• Jenna Laird recorded a pair of walks and a hit in the game, extending her reached base streak to 13, and hit streak to seven games.
• Jenna Laird also scored twice for the Tigers, having now scored in 12 of 13 games this season.
• Laurin Krings pitched a complete game in the win, her third seven-inning outing of the season. She struck out five in the winning effort while allowing just one run on six hits.
• Julia Crenshaw (1-for-4) added an RBI, her ninth of the season.
• Kara Daly (1-for-3) posted two RBI, bringing her season total to nine.
• Mya Dodge went 1-for-3 including an RBI, her sixth in the Black and Gold.
• Maddie Gallagher extended her reach base streak to seven games with a walk.

No. 11/13 Mizzou 3, Cal State Fullerton 0

The Tigers would threaten early, loading the bases in the first following an Alex Honnold double, but were unable to take an early lead. 

Then, it was freshman Marissa McCann retiring consecutive Titans to shut down their early scoring chance, stranding a runner after a one-out double in the top half of the second.

From there, both pitchers were able to control the opposing offenses as McCann and Cal State Fullerton’s Haley Rainey combined to retire 16 straight batters, stretching from the bottom of the third to the top of the sixth inning.

McCann picked up her first career victory, only allowing two hits (no runs) over six innings pitched with five strikeouts.

Mizzou was able to break the tie in the bottom of the sixth, with a rally sparked by a one-out double off the bat of Kara Daly. Maddie Gallagher then reached on an error to put two runners on, before pinch hitter Katie Chester  blasted a three-run homer which would prove to be the deciding factor in the Tigers 3-0 victory.

Closer Taylor Pannell would then come on in the seventh to secure the victory. Pannell surrendered a one-out single before consecutive flyouts for the save. 

GAME NOTES

• Katie Chester connected on her third long ball of the season; a three-run shot which would prove to be the game-winner for Mizzou. She finished 1-for-1 with three RBI and a run.
• With the round tripper, Chester has now matched her home run total from 2023.
• Marissa McCann earned her first career win, registering six innings pitched and five strikeouts, while only allowing two hits and giving up zero runs.
• Marissa McCann’s six innings pitched set a new career-high, and her five punchouts tied a career best.
• Alex Honnold (2-for-3) notched another multi-hit game, her sixth of the season. She registered six-consecutive hits over Friday’s pair of games at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic. 
• Alex Honnold extended her hitting streak to six games.
• Kara Daly (1-for-3) recorded a double to extend her reached base streak to seven games.
• Kara Daly’s double marked her fifth extra base hit of the season.
• With the hit, Kara Daly has now registered 100 career hits over her career as a Tiger. 
• Maddie Gallagher scored a run for the Tigers, her 10th of the year.
• Maddie Gallagher also pushed her reached base streak to eight games after an HBP.
• Danielle Blackstun touched home, the fourth time she has recorded a run in her career.
• Taylor Pannell tallied her second save of the 2024 season, allowing just one hit over the seventh inning to close the door. 

UP NEXT

• Mizzou concludes its stay at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic on Saturday at 10 p.m. CT against No. 22 Baylor on Big League Dreams Wrigley Field. The game will be streamed on FloSports.

FOLLOW THE TIGERS

• For all the latest on Mizzou Softball, stay tuned to MUTigers.com and follow the team @MizzouSoftball (Twitter, Instagram, Facebook).