No. 13/13 Softball Wraps Midweek Play with 4-1 Win Over SIUE Wednesday

COLUMBIA, Mo. – The No. 13/13 University of Missouri softball team (34-11, 7-8 SEC) secured a midweek win over SIUE (14-27), 4-1, Wednesday afternoon at the Mizzou Softball Stadium.

The win moves MU to 34-11 (7-8 SEC) for the season, as SIUE drops to 14-27.

With the win Wednesday, the Tigers completed midweek action with a 9-1 record in 2024.

Sophomore Lilly Whitten made her first career appearance at home, logging 6.0 innings of work, allowing just two hits and one run, while striking out six in the victory.

Senior Alex Honnold’s third-inning double tied a program record for two-baggers in a single-season, with 19, and sophomore Kayley Lenger finished her day 1-for-2 with a two-run homer.

Mizzou would get off to a hot start, as Whitten shut down the Cougar bats in the top of the first, before shortstop Jenna Laird came around to score on a single from Maddie Gallagher in the bottom of the frame.

After SIUE got on the board in the top of the second on an RBI double from Kaylynn Salyars, Lenger provided Mizzou the advantage again, launching a two-run shot in the bottom of the inning for a 3-1 Tigers lead.

Whitten and SIUE’s Sydney Baalman settled into a pitcher’s duel in the third, as the duo combined to allow just two baserunners through the next three innings, including Honnold’s record-tying double.

The Tigers would tally an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth, as reigning SEC Freshman of the Week Stefania Abruscato logged an RBI single that scored freshman pinch runner Claire Cahalan and put MU up by three late in the game.

Taylor Pannell entered in the seventh to close out the game. The sophomore from Lee’s Summit, Missouri, coaxed three quick outs all via grounders for her NCAA-leading ninth save of the season.

GAME NOTES

• Kayley Lenger (1-for-2) hit a two-run homer in the second, her second of the season.
• Kayley Lenger also registered her third two-RBI game of the campaign.
• Lilly Whitten tied a career-long outing, going six innings, striking out six and allowing only one run on two hits in her first career home start/appearance.
• Lilly Whitten has now struck out six or more in all three of her starts after notching eight at South Dakota State (Feb. 17) in her debut and six at George Mason (March 28).
• Lilly Whitten picked up her fifth win (5-0) of the season Wednesday.
• Maddie Gallagher (1-for-3) extended her hitting streak to seven games with a single in the first inning.
• Maddie Gallagher has now driven in a run in four of the last five games (seven RBI in the last seven games).
• Alex Honnold (1-for-3) hit her 19th double of the season, tying the single-season Mizzou program record. She now sits first in Mizzou history tied with Mary Babb (18).
• Stefania Abruscato (1-for-2) increased her reached base streak to five games with a base on balls in the second and a single in the sixth.
• Additionally, Stefania Abruscato has now recorded a hit in four of her last five games (six hits in the last five games).
• Claire Cahalan pinch ran after Abby Hay drew a walk in the sixth. Cahalan came home to score her 10th run of the year.
• Jenna Laird stole her team-leading 13th stolen base of the season, going 1-for-3 with a run.
• Taylor Pannell entered in the seventh to close out the game. The sophomore from Lee’s Summit, Missouri, coaxed three quick outs all via grounders for her NCAA-leading ninth save of the season.
• Six Tigers notched hits Wednesday.
• With the win, the Tigers completed midweek action with a 9-1 record in 2024.
• Mizzou improves to 7-1 all time against the Cougars.
• Head coach Larissa Anderson keeps her perfect record against SIUE, moving to 4-0.

LOOKING AHEAD

• The Tigers head south to take on the No. 9 Georgia Bulldogs for a three-game set. Game one is Friday, at 5 p.m., CT on SEC Network+.

FOLLOW THE TIGERS

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