The Missouri softball team was able to pick up two wins over Omaha on Sunday to advance to the super regional round of the NCAA Tournament. The Tigers first avoided elimination by beating the Mavericks 5-1. The second game needed two extra innings before either team scored, but Mizzou came out on top 1-0 to win the Columbia Regional.
GAME 1
It took Missouri the better part of 16 innings over two games to solve the riddle of Omaha pitcher Kamryn Meyer as the Tigers plated five runs in the top of the seventh of an elimination game to defeat the Mavs 5-1 and force a deciding game 7 in the 2024 NCAA Columbia Regional Sunday at Mizzou Softball Stadium.
Mizzou picked up its 1,500-win in program history to become the 15th program in NCAA history to reach the milestone and second SEC school (Texas A&M).
Trailing 1-0 in the top of the seventh, Kara Daly led off the frame with a walk and later advanced to third on a single from pinch hitter Madison Walker. Jenna Laird grounded out to second and plated pinch runner Danielle Blackstun to knot things up at one run apiece.
The Tigers weren’t done there as Alex Honnold hammered a no doubter to right-center field to score Blackstun and pinch runner Mya Dodge. Maddie Gallagher and Abby Hay drew back-to-back walks on 3-2 counts and Meyer was lifted for Sydney Nuismer, the first time Omaha went to its bullpen in the Regional. The runners advanced to scoring position on a wild pitch and a Julia Crenshaw single plated both to make the count 5-1 entering the bottom of the frame.
Reliever Taylor Pannell gave up a leadoff single in the bottom of the seventh but retired three-straight Mavs to force the winner-take-all Regional final.
The first five innings was a pitcher’s duel with Omaha breaking through in the top of the sixth after a leadoff double down the left-field line by Marra Cramer ended Laurin Krings’ no-hit bid. Krings was lifted for Pannell and Cramer scored on a throwing error after a fly out to right field.
Pannell picked up the win, her fourth, while Krings took a no-decision but continued her strong run in the circle, striking out three and walking three with only the one-hit blemish on her pitching line.
Meyer took the loss, her fifth of the season. She was charged with all five runs, giving up six hits while walking four and striking out one. Meyer had stymied the Tigers in the Regional opener on Friday, giving up a single run on four hits over nine innings where she threw 158 pitches and struck out six.
GAME 2
Madison Walker singled up the middle in the bottom of the ninth inning to break a 0-0 tie and complete Missouri’s remarkable comeback with a 1-0 victory over Omaha in the Columbia Regional as the Tigers won four-straight elimination games at Mizzou Softball Stadium to advance to the NCAA Super Regionals for the first time since 2021.
Alex Honnold led off the second extra frame with a walk, advanced to second on an Abby Hay single and took third on a Julia Crenshaw groundout. Walker’s two-out poke up the middle plated Honnold and the gold-clad Tigers swarmed Walker at first base as the sellout crowd roared its approval.
Laurin Krings went the distance for the Tigers, scattering four hits across nine innings while striking out a season-high 15 batters. She factored into both games on the day, throwing a total of 16 innings with no runs and 18 strikeouts.
Overall, Krings led the Tigers throughout the regional. The senior started all four of Mizzou’s victories, posting a 3-0 record with a 0.56 earned run average. She also struck out 24 batters over 25 innings of work, allowing just two earned runs on 15 hits and five walks.
Omaha’s Sydney Nuismer, who took both losses on the day, was every bit of Krings’ equal, throwing 8 2/3 innings and giving up one run on five hits while striking out two. The Mavericks saw their season end with a 43-15 record.
The Tigers became just the 11th team in NCAA history to advance out of their regional after dropping their first game, coming back from a 3-1 extra-inning setback to the Mavericks on Friday.
UP NEXT
The Tigers, who improved to 47-16, will play host to No. 10 Duke on the home turf. Game dates, times and ticket information will be announced as soon as it’s available.
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