Angela Randazzo (12) gets caught in a run-down as Corrin Genovese (16) watches from third base. Randazzo was put out on the play by catcher Bailiegh Basham, but Mackenzie Sykes was able to reach second.
Fans who arrived early and stayed late got their money’s worth in Friday’s NCAA regional softball action at University Field in Columbia.
The Kansas Jayhawks jumped out to a 3-run lead in the top of the first inning, a lead they ever gave up in their 3-1 win over Nebraska. Taylor Hatfield’s two-run home run was the highlight of the inning.
The second game, between Missouri and Bradley, went eight innings with Missouri coming out with the 6-5 win.
Missouri had the 4-0 lead after five innings but the Braves scored five runs in the top of the seventh to take the 5-4 Read more of this post
Freshman pitcher Tori Finucane pitches against Oklahoma State on March 22, 2014 at University Field in Columbia, Mo. Finucane was given three SEC honors on Tuesday including Freshman Player of the Year.
The Southeastern Conference released its postseason softball awards on Tuesday, and Missouri freshman Tori Finucane was recognized in three categories. Infielder Corrin Genovese, outfielder Taylor Gadbois and outfielder Mackenzie Sykes join Finucane with All-SEC honors.
While receiving First Team and Freshman All-SEC honors, Finucane was recognized as the conference Freshman Player of the Year. This marks only the second Freshman POY award in program history as Finucane joins outfielder Rhea Taylor, who took home the award in 2008. Finucane compiled a 21-5 record, 1.70 ERA and 166 strikeouts during the regular season.
Genovese and Gadbois also received First Team All-SEC honors, and Sykes was named to the SEC All-Defensive team.
The No. 14 Tigers are in Columbia, S.C., for the SEC softball tournament and will face No. 25 Louisiana State in the second round at 10 a.m. on Thursday. Follow the link for a complete list of SEC award winners.
Tiger shortstop Corrin Genovese asks for a timeout after an error by infielder Angela Randazzo on Friday, May 2 at University Field in Columbia, Mo. Genovese had one of Missouri’s four hits in the loss.
By Sam Hustis
Missouri softball witnessed an opposing team celebrate at University Field after the Alabama Crimson Tide beat the Tigers 3-1, clinching the Southeastern Conference regular season championship on Friday night.
“It’s disgusting,” coach Ehren Earleywine said. “You do something like that in baseball and you could get into trouble for it.”
Alabama’s Sydney Littlejohn gave up four hits and one earned run on her way to a complete game victory.
“We haven’t seen anything like her curveball all year,” Corrin Genovese said.
Alabama picked up the first run of the contest when Read more of this post
Emily Crane approaches home plate after her third inning home run on Thursday, May 1, 2014 at University Field in Columbia, Mo. Crane had two hits on the night, and her home run gave the Tigers a 3-2 lead in the third inning.
Story by Sam Richmond
Photos by Sam Hustis
The No. 13 Missouri softball team kept its slim chance at a Southeastern Conference Regular Season Championship alive Thursday night, as they defeated No. 6 Alabama 8-6 on Thursday, May 1, 2014 at University Field in Columbia, Mo.
To finish with an SEC title, the Tigers (41-13, 15-7 in SEC) need to win the final two games of this weekend’s series against the Crimson Tide and have at least one Tennessee loss in its final three games against Ole Miss.
Missouri won Thursday’s back-and-forth game because of its bats, which usually isn’t the case when they send pitcher Tori Finucane to the hill. The freshman phenomenon entered the game with a 1.66 ERA, but struggled against a potent Alabama offense.
She allowed a run in each of the first two innings, which put the Tigers in an early hole. Missouri found its first lead in the third inning after an RBI single from sophomore infielder Sami Fagan and a two-run home run from sophomore outfielder Emily Crane.
The Tigers would give Finucane even more breathing room in the fifth inning when they packed on two more, due to junior infielder Angela Randazzo’s sacrifice fly and junior first baseman Kelsea Roth’s solo home run.
However, Finucane having a cushion quickly turned into a Tiger deficit, as Missouri’s 21-game winner allowed a grand slam to the Crimson Tide’s Kallie Case in the sixth inning.
But the Tiger bats just wouldn’t stop.
By Sam Richmond
The good times continued for the No. 15 Missouri softball team (38-13) on Monday.
A day after the team took the rubber match 5-4 against No. 3 Florida in Gainesville, Fla., Tiger shortstop Corrin Genovese and Tiger pitcher Tori Finucane took home Player of the Week and Pitcher of the Week honors, respectively.
Genovese batted .462 in the Tigers four games this past week and played an instrumental role in the series-clinching win over the Gators, knocking in four of Read more of this post
By Sam Richmond
Freshman pitcher Tori Finucane and the No. 15 Missouri softball team took down Missouri State at University Field in Columbia, Mo., on Wednesday.
The Tiger ace mowed down the Bears to the tune of a complete game shutout, while striking out five batters and allowing just three hits.
Finucane continued a string of dominance by not allowing an earned run in four consecutive starts.
“Tori’s really heating up at the right part of the season,” said junior shortstop Corrin Genovese.
Finucane, a Top 25 Freshman of the Year finalist, attributes her recent performance to Read more of this post
Sami Fagan grimaces as she is tagged out sliding into home by pitcher Chelsea Wilkinson as catcher Katie Browne watches.
Georgia took control with the first pitch. Anna Swafford stepped up to the plate and hit Tori Finucane’s first pitch into right field. After losing two games to the Tigers, Georgia played like a team trying to save face. The Bulldogs would score in that inning on the way to a 6-2 Read more of this post
Photos by Karen Mitchell
Mackenzie Sykes jumps onto home plate and into the crowd of cheering teammates after hitting a walk-off home run Saturday, winning the game 6-3.
Mackenzie Sykes drove in four RBIs Saturday including the game-winning walk-off home run to power No. 16 Missouri past No. 13 Georgia Bulldogs, 6-3.
Missouri scored first in the game when Sykes singled in Taylor Gadbois in the first inning. The Tigers scored again in the Read more of this post
By Sam Hustis
COLUMBIA – Missouri opened their 2014 Mizzou Tournament with a win against Ball State on Friday night, 11-3. This was the third win in a row for the Tigers.
Missouri got a strong showing from senior Mackenzie Sykes, who went 3-for-4 with five RBI on the night. Sykes has 20 RBI on the season, and has a slugging percentage of .427 this year.
After allowing two runs in the first, Missouri answered in the bottom of the inning with three runs of their own when Sykes hit a bases clearing double off Ball State pitcher Nichole Steinbach. The Cardinals tied the game 3-3 in the top of the third inning when Taylor Rager hit a solo shot to left field.
The Tigers scored one run in the bottom of the third inning, and three in the fourth inning to pull ahead of the Cardinals. Missouri’s Taylor Gadbois had an RBI single in the frame, and extended her team-record hitting streak to 22 games. She also leads the team with 23 stolen bases on the year.
Freshman pitcher Casey Stangel struggled on the night, and was replaced by Tori Finucane in the fifth inning. Stangel gave up seven hits in four innings of work. Finucane only allowed one hit in the final two innings of the game. Both struck out two batters on the night.
Missouri will play North Dakota State and Oklahoma State Saturday, and close out the Mizzou Tournament against UMKC on Sunday.
By Sam Hustis
COLUMBIA – The Missouri Tigers opened up their SEC season with a win against the visiting Kentucky Wildcats 7-2 in their home opener Friday night.
The Tigers got a great outing from freshman pitcher Tori Finucane, who gave up only two runs on nine hits at her first home game for Missouri. The Wildcats also had nine hits in the game, but the Tigers were able to capitalize and comfortably beat the Wildcats.
“Coming out strong in the first inning was great,” Finucane said. “It also helped with that mental aspect of going out there and throwing strikes.”
Entering Friday’s game the top of the lineup for Missouri had been hot. The trio of Taylor Gadbois, Sami Fagan and Emily Crane combined for 78 hits through 20 games, for an average of 3.9 hits per game.
This trend continued into the bottom of the first inning, when both Gadbois and Crane doubled, as Missouri scored two runs in the inning. All three would get at least one hit in game one against the Wildcats, bringing their combined season total to 83 hits.
“Going out there and getting on base and getting that big one to start it off, that was awesome,” said Crane following the game. “I was excited.”
Missouri continued the scoring in the third inning, with two more runs. Fagan started the inning with a double, and two batters later Angela Randazzo homered to left field, driving in two runs.
The Tigers would add two more runs in the fourth and one in the sixth. Kentucky would tack on two runs in the last inning, but it would not be enough to climb back. It was the third win in a row from the Tigers, who were coming off a two game win streak in Evansville, Ind.
“If we can come out tomorrow and Sunday and play the same way, and get the bat on the ball and get that many hits up on the board, we shouldn’t have a problem,” Crane said.
Missouri and Kentucky will play a doubleheader Saturday at 2 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.
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