COLUMBIA, Mo. – The No. 7 seeded University of Missouri Softball team (43-16) fell in a pitcher’s duel to Omaha (42-13), 3-1, in nine innings during the first day of the 2024 NCAA Columbia Regional Friday at the Mizzou Softball Stadium.
Mizzou welcomed a Regional-best 3,347 fans to Mizzou Softball Stadium.
With the loss, Missouri will face Indiana Saturday at 4:30 p.m., CT and then take on the loser of No. 13/15 Washington/Omaha at 7 p.m., CT.
With the contest tied at 1-1, Ava Rongisch broke the stalemate with a two-run homer to center field in the ninth.
The Mavericks then retired Mizzou, one-two-three, to secure the win, 3-1.
Omaha jumped out to an early 1-0 lead after a solo homer from Sydney Thomason in the first. Despite the early deficit, starting pitcher Cierra Harrison, who made her first NCAA Regional start in the circle, retired five-straight batters after giving up the longball.
Harrison continued dealing for MU, registering her second one-two-three inning of the evening after her sixth strikeout retired the side in the fourth frame.
Marissa McCann relieved Harrison to begin the fifth inning, picking up where the starting pitcher left off by retiring six of the first seven hitters she faced.
During the bottom of the sixth inning, Missouri assembled multiple base runners with no outs for the third time of the contest.
Abby Hay commenced the inning with a single to center, before Julia Crenshaw singled to short. During Stefania Abruscato’s at-bat, Crenshaw advanced to second to put multiple runners in scoring position. Kara Daly then lifted a fly ball to left field, resulting in a sacrifice fly that scored Hay.
The Tigers square off in the first elimination game of the 2024 NCAA Columbia Regional against Indiana Saturday at 4:30 p.m., CT. With a win, Mizzou would then take on the loser of No. 13/15 Washington/Omaha at 7 p.m., CT.
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