Things looked shaky for Mizzou early, as Alabama hit two solo home runs in the first inning to jump out to a 2-0 lead. But the Tigers refused to lose, powered by a 3-run third inning to shut down the Tide, pulling away with a 5-2 win for their first SEC win and taking down a top-5 program in the nation.
Sophie Smith capped off the third inning with a crucial 2-RBI ground-rule double with the bases loaded in what ended up being the game-winning run. She was one of two Tigers with two hits on the day.
“We just have to get the right hit the right time,” head coach Larissa Anderson said. “We got that from Sophie Smith today.”
The other was Stefania Abruscato, whose main contribution was a solo home run in the fourth to extend the lead. She also added a walk on the day.
“It was great to see that she zoned down a little bit more and jumped on pitches that she knows she can handle,” Anderson said.
While Abby Carr didn’t earn the win, she pitched the final 2 2/3 innings and escaped a bases-loaded jam in the seventh for her first collegiate save. She allowed only one hit while striking out three.
She came in relief for Cierra Harrison, who bounced back after a pair of early home runs to finish the day with 4 1/3 innings pitched, striking out five batters.
“She just dominated the outer half to her right handed hitters, she elevated her game,” Anderson said. “She went from throwing 65, 66 [mph] to then 69, just like that…it was great to see her bounce back and just compete and then keeping them off balance.”
Here’s how the game played out from start to finish:
Alabama jumped all over Harrison early with solo homers from both Audrey Vandagriff and Alexis Pupillo in the first inning. Harrison’s rise balls were put right in the zone, allowing the two hitters to make solid contact and onto the packed berm. But Cierra responded to close the inning with a pair of strikeouts, limiting the damage to 2-0. Mizzou couldn’t respond in the bottom of the first, going 1-2-3 at the hands of starting pitcher Vic Moten. Abruscato had a hard hit ball to right-center but JUST stayed inside the park for a flyout.
Harrison allowed one hit in the second inning but escaped with no real damage done. Abby Hay and Smith each singled before advancing into scoring position on a groundout. But the Tigers failed to push one across after a flyout to close the inning.
Harrison was rolling in the third inning, sitting down the Tide 1-2-3 on only eight pitches. The Mizzou offense pushed three runs across in the bottom of the third, taking a 3-2 lead. Addy Waits started the action with a hit-by-pitch before advancing to third on a single from Abruscato. She scored on an error from a ball hit back to Moten to bring the deficit to one. Carr loaded the bases with a walk before Smith smashed a double that skipped over the right-field wall and gave Mizzou its first lead of the series at 3-2. The Tigers continued to threaten but a soft-rolling groundout ending the scoring at three.
“It was personal,” Smith said. “They walked Abby Carr to get to me…I knew I had to make them pay for that.”
Alabama threatened to tie the game with a two-out double, but Harrison slammed the door on the fourth inning with her fifth strikeout of the day. Abruscato doubled the lead with a solo shot in the bottom of the inning, helping create some separation.
Harrison gave up a single to start the fifth before a sacrifice bunt advanced the runner to scoring position, marking the end of the day for the starter with 4 1/3 innings pitched. Carr came in relief for the second game in a row, allowing a walk but otherwise ended the inning with no drama after a pair of strikeouts. Carr walked in the bottom half of the inning was Mizzou’s only baserunner in a quiet offensive frame.
Carr continued to roll in the sixth, allowing a walk but nothing more to head to the bottom of the inning. Mizzou made the most of the offensive chance, as Kayley Lenger blasted a leadoff triple before scoring after pinch-hitter Linny Ramsey hit a single out to center field. This gave the Tigers a 5-2 lead heading into the final frame.
Alabama fought back with a leadoff double down the left-field line to get the Tide offense going. A one-out walk brough the tying run to the plate and forced Anderson to come out for a mound visit. But Carr showed up big, throwing an off-speed pitch for strike three on Brooke Wells, a controversial call that resulted in the ejection of Alabama head coach Patrick Murphy.
A failed fielder’s choice attempted loaded the bases, bringing Ana Roman up to bat. Carr loaded the count, bringing the entire Tiger crowd to its feet. But the freshman came up big, forcing soft contact in a lineout caught by Madison Uptegrove to secure the first SEC win for Mizzou.
“She was born for this moment,” Anderson said. “For a freshman to have the composure that she does and the confidence that she does…it’s very rare to see a pitcher be able to do that.”
This was a monumental win for a Tiger team that has come so close to that first win against an elite program, including a narrow 2-1 defeat against the Tide the day before. This pushes Mizzou another game closer to .500 and to a potential bid to the NCAA Tournament.
“We have played a lot of close games, so we just took that next step,” Smith said. “Just getting over that hump is huge.”
The rubber match in the series starts at noon on Sunday from the Mizzou Softball Stadium. Both games have drawn over 3,000 fans, I’d expect nothing different for the season finale.
