In what felt like a win-or-go-home situation for Mizzou Softball, the Tigers got the job done against No. 6 Arkansas thanks to a three-run homer from Sidney Forrester and a masterclass pitching performance by Cierra Harrison in relief to close out a 3-1 Mizzou win on Sunday at Bogle Park.
While the Game 3 result in Fayetteville technically wasn’t a win-or-go-home situation for the Tigers, if they would’ve lost, then they would’ve potentially had to sweep their final SEC series against an opponent
that doesn’t drop many series: No. 9 Tennessee. So no, it wasn’t by definition a win-or-go-home game, but the win puts Mizzou in a much better situation as it looks to achieve the .500 win percentage required to maintain postseason eligibility.
Mizzou didn’t start the game hot offensively, only registering one hit through the first three innings on a Saniya Hill double in the second. Hill was the only Tiger to end the game with two hits, and has been a true bright spot this weekend. The bats got hot in the fourth, however, in what turned out to be a pretty important half inning for the Tigers when you think about how close they are to being in or out of the NCAA tournament picture. Stefania Abruscato led off the inning with a hit by pitch, then Abby Hay hit a single up the center to put two Mizzou runners on base. Then this happened:
The home run marked the freshman’s 10th of the season. The only other player on the team at the double-digit mark is fellow freshman, Abby Carr. Safe to say the future is bright for Mizzou.
The Razorbacks got off to a hot start when Ella McDowell hit a double to right-center field to score Brinli Bain off of starter Marissa McCann. Despite the slow start for the Tigers, they didn’t let it get to their head, refusing to allow any other runs for the rest of the game.
Harrison came off the bench in a relief role, something she doesn’t usually do, to replace Marissa McCann after just 2.1 frames. McCann struggled to find the batters box, finishing her couple-inning stint with three hits, four walks and the lone earned run while failing to strikeout a single Razorback. Harrison, on the other hand, was strong for the second day in a row. The senior finished the game with zero runs allowed, three strikeouts and three hits through 4.2 innings. She capped off her strong performance with a cherry on top in the seventh.
Like I mentioned earlier, this was a massive win for Mizzou. A couple weeks ago I put out a poll on the Tigers’ chances at postseason eligibility. With 11 games remaining — this was prior to Mizzou adding SIUE to its schedule — the Tigers were sitting at 22-22. My poll received 84 votes and you wouldn’t believe the results. Dead split.
Despite being swept by South Carolina at home — which probably led to a lot of lost hope for Mizzou fans — the Tigers refuse to give in. They know what they need to do; now they just need to do it. While Mizzou coach Larissa Anderson knows what is at stake, she understands that adding unneeded pressure to her team is not what she wants to do.
“I just want them to compete and not give in, and whatever happens, happens,” Anderson said following the South Carolina sweep. “I mean we still have to take care of what we need to do, but if we put that much pressure on them, I mean, they already feel enough pressure in the game.”
Now, with four regular season games left on the schedule and the conference tournament remaining, Mizzou knows exactly what it needs to do. The Tigers must beat Kansas City in their midweek matchup on Tuesday, then ideally steal two from No. 9 Tennessee at home. This would put them at 28-26 rather than 27-27, and then wouldn’t require a win in the SEC Tournament to maintain postseason eligibility. If the Tigers take one against the Lady Vols, they’ll need one win in the SEC Tournament to be over the bump, and if they are swept, they’ll need a run in the tourney, which you just can’t count on.
First, Mizzou needs to take care of business against Kansas City. The Tigers face off against the Roos on Tuesday at 5 p.m. in Columbia.
