No. 11/11 Softball Drops Series Finale at No. 8/9 Tennessee Sunday

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The No. 11/11 University of Missouri softball team (22-6, 2-4 SEC) dropped its series finale with No. 8/9 Tennessee (22-4, 3-0 SEC), 4-0, Sunday afternoon at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium.

The Volunteers utilized three home runs to secure the SEC series sweep Sunday. 

Laura Mealer blasted a solo shot to center in the second before McKenna Gibson connected on a two-run homer in the third. 

Kiki Milloy increased the Tennessee advantage to 4-0 with a homer in the fifth.

Marissa McCann found herself in a battle early in her first career SEC start. After surrendering a leadoff single, Tennessee worked the runner to third. With a runner in scoring position, McCann struck out UT right fielder Taylor Pannell to get out of the early jam.

McCann, a freshman from Surprise, Arizona, allowed four runs on six hits Sunday to go with a pair of strikeouts.

Trailing 3-0 in the top of the fourth, Alex Honnold provided a spark to the Mizzou offense with a one-out single. Julia Crenshaw followed, reaching on an error. Karlyn Pickens then wrapped the inning with a strikeout. She finished with 11 strikeouts Sunday in the complete-game shutout victory.

Missouri attempted another rally in the seventh. Kara Daly opened the inning with a single. Katie Chester chipped in a one-out single of her own before Pickens closed the contest.

NOTES

• Alex Honnold, Kara Daly, and Katie Chester each notched a hit Sunday. 
• Kara Daly extended her reached base streak to four games with a single in the seventh.
• Claire Cahalan and Danielle Blackstun both made appearances pinch running in the seventh.
• Stefania Abruscato earned her first career SEC start, starting the contest at designated player.
• Pitcher Marissa McCann made her first career SEC start.
• With a strikeout in the first, Marissa McCann has recorded a punch out in seven of her eight appearances this season.
• Marissa McCann’s five innings pitched are her most in an outing since working six innings against Cal State Fullerton on Feb. 23, 2024.
• Marissa McCann, a freshman from Surprise, Arizona, allowed four runs on six hits Sunday to go with a pair of strikeouts.
• Taylor Pannell made her ninth appearance of the season, tallying two strikeouts. It marked her fifth game in 2024 with two or more punch outs.
• Taylor Pannell allowed no runs on zero hits with the pair of Ks and a walk over the sixth inning. 
• Missouri falls to 8-15 all-time against Tennessee. Head Coach Larissa Anderson moves to 4-8 in her career against the Lady Vols.

UP NEXT

• Mizzou next heads to Lawrence, Kansas, for a midweek matchup against Kansas on March 20. The contest will commence at 5 p.m., CT. The Tigers will then return home, hosting LSU for a three-game series March 22-24 at the Mizzou Softball Stadium. 

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