Mizzou drops Super Regional to Duke in extra innings collapse
COLUMBIA, Mo. — The Missouri softball Tigers relinquished four runs in extra innings in a 4-0 loss to Duke in Game 3 of the Columbia Super Regional.
In the ninth inning, 7-seed Mizzou allowed four extra-base hits that proved their downfall. Duke center fielder D’Auna Jennings broke the tie with a solo home run to right field.
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Mizzou ace pitcher and senior Lauren Krings threw 101 pitches and allowed four hits with Jennings’ home run being the sole run allowed with three strikeouts.
After the home run, Mizzou switched to Lee’s Summit West alum and sophomore Taylor Pannell who hit a batter and gave up a triple to Amiah Burgess, allowing the runner to score for a 2-0 lead.
Ana Gold hit a double to right field to increase Duke’s lead to 3-0, prompting the Tigers to switch from Pannell to freshman Marissa McCann. Catcher Kelly Torres hit a pop-up to first base that Abby Hay couldn’t reel in trying to catch the ball over her shoulder.
Torres snagged a double and a 4-0 lead for the Blue Devils to end the 9th inning.
Singles from seniors Jenna Laird and Alex Honnold got runners on first and second before Duke switched from pitcher Cassidy Curd to senior left-hander Lillie Walker.
After a Maddie Gallagher groundout moved the runners to second and third, Hay hit a three-run home run to right center field to cut the deficit to 4-3 in the ninth inning.
Walker collected a Julia Crenshaw groundout for the second out and Curd subbed back in for the Tigers.
Olathe West alum and freshman Madison Walker was the last batter with a runner on first with two outs and she hit a line drive straight to Jennings in center for the final out.
Mizzou only collected two hits until the seventh inning, when catcher Julia Crenshaw hit a single through the gap. Still, senior third baseman Kara Daly struck out swinging to go into extra innings.
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4,021 people in attendance set a new program attendance record with the Tigers having three straight sellouts of 11,608 total people at Mizzou Softball Stadium throughout the Super Regional.
10-seed Duke will head to Oklahoma City for the Women’s College World Series, the first berth in their program’s seven-year history, where they will begin by facing 2-seed and three-time defending national champion Oklahoma on Thursday.
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