No. 7 Softball Drops Super Regional Opener to No. 10 Duke, 6-3

COLUMBIA, Mo. – A pair of fifth-inning hits proved to be the difference as No. 10 Duke (51-6) handed No. 7 University of Missouri softball (47-17) a 6-3 defeat in the opening game of the 2024 NCAA Columbia Super Regional, Friday at Mizzou Softball Stadium.

The two squads will return to the field Saturday, facing off in an elimination game at noon, CT. The game will be broadcasted on ESPN.

With the game knotted at three runs apiece in the top of the fifth frame, Duke’s Claire Davidson punched a one-out single to center field and scored on the next pitch when Aminah Vega sent the first offering by Mizzou starter Laurin Krings’ bouncing off the warning track for a standup double and RBI.

Krings induced a groundout on the next batter ahead of an infield single by Gisele Tapia which scored the pinch runner Aleyah Terrell.

The Blue Devils added an insurance run in the top of the seventh when Ana Gold got held up in a two-out rundown long enough for D’Auna Jennings to score the sixth and final run of the contest.

MU had its chances, stranding eight runners, but Duke reliever Cassidy Curd held the advantage, picking up her 12th win with a sterling 5.1 inning stint where she struck out eight, walked one and held the Tigers hitless.

Krings took the loss, dropping to 16-9 on the season. She went 4.2 innings, giving up five runs on seven hits, striking out two and walking a pair.

The fifth inning was a harsh reversal as the game could not have started better for Mizzou. Alex Honnold poked a one-out single and advanced to second on a throwing error ahead of a Maddie Gallagher single which scored Honnold and put the Tigers on the board first. 

Duke would respond in the second on a Francesca Frelick line-drive, two-run, home run to left field that scored Kelly Torres, who dropped a one-out single inside the left-field line. The Blue Devils added one more run after a Jennings triple to center field scored Amiah Burgess who had singled in the previous at bat.

Mizzou tied things up in the bottom of the frame on Jenna Laird’s RBI double down the right-field line and Gallagher’s RBI groundout which scored Laird to knot the score at 3-3. The next batter, Abby Hay, drew a four-pitch walk which chased Duke starter Jala Wright from the game. Curd came in and popped up Julia Crenshaw to strand two Tigers and end the threat.

NOTES

• Jenna Laird, Alex Honnold, Maddie Gallagher and Kayley Lenger each knocked a hit Friday.
• Jenna Laird extended her hitting streak to five games (10-game reached base streak).
• Jenna Laird registered her 14th double of the season for her 50th in her career (tied for fifth in Mizzou program history).
• Jenna Laird also picked up her 20th stolen base (84 career stolen bases, fifth in Mizzou history).
• Maddie Gallagher picked up her career-best 10th stolen base of the season.
• Maddie Gallagher notched her team-leading 10th multi-RBI game of the season.
• Abby Hay extended her reached base streak to 13 with a walk.
• Alex Honnold has now reached safely in six consecutive games after posting a hit, a run and two walks.
• Kayley Lenger has reached base in each of the last three Mizzou games, finishing with a run, a hit and an HBP (22nd of the season, SEC leading, fourth in NCAA).
• Jenna Laird is now one run away from 200 in her career (fourth in Mizzou program history). She also moved to second all-time in Missouri history with 787 at bats. Laird has a career best 204 at bats this season which ranks sixth at Mizzou.
• Laurin Krings is seven strikeouts away from 600 in her career.
• Alex Honnold is two walks away from 100 in her career.
• Laurin Krings took the loss, dropping to 16-9 on the season. She went 4.2 innings, giving up five runs on seven hits, striking out two and walking a pair.
• Marissa McCann pitched the final 2.1 innings, allowing one earned run on two hits with a strikeout.
• Mizzou is making its 10th Super Regionals appearance in program history. The Tigers are 8-14 all-time. Mizzou is hosting its sixth Super Regionals this weekend.
• Mizzou faced off against Duke for the first time in program history Friday.

UP NEXT

• The Tigers next take on No. 10 Duke in the 2024 NCAA Columbia Super Regionals elimination game Saturday at noon, CT at the Mizzou Softball Stadium.
• The game will be broadcasted on ESPN and streamed on ESPN+.

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