Mizzou softball forces Game 3 with Saturday win over Duke in Super Regional
COLUMBIA, Mo. — The Missouri softball Tigers live to fight another day after a 3-1 win over Duke in Game 2 of the Columba Super Regional, forcing a deciding Game 3 on Sunday.
After three scoreless and hitless innings, 7-seed Mizzou broke through with hits from seniors, center fielder Alex Honnold, and second baseman Maddie Gallagher in the top of the fourth.
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The next batter, freshman first baseman Abby Hay, singled to right field and the throw to home bounced off of Duke catcher Kelly Torres while Honnold scored. Torres backed up to the plate without the ball which allowed Gallagher to score and Hay to advance to third..
10-seed Duke then switched from their ace starting pitcher Jala Wright (3.1 innings, three hits, three runs, two earned runs, two strikeouts) to Cassidy Curd, and Julia Crenshaw’s groundout allowed Hay to score as Mizzou left the inning with a 3-0 lead.
Curd only allowed one hit the rest of the way for the Blue Devils through 3.2 innings with a strikeout.
Duke responded in the bottom of the fifth with a solo home run from Francesca Frelick, her second homer of the series. Freshman pitcher Marissa McCann subbed in for ace and senior Lauren Krings after the home run.
Krings finished the day only allowing two hits and one run with three strikeouts through 4.2 innings.
Duke’s biggest threat came in the bottom of the sixth when they walked and bunted their way into a bases-loaded situation with one out against Lee’s Summit West alum and sophomore pitcher Taylor Parnell, who came in for McCann.
Parnell struck out third basemen Ana Gold swinging and forced Torres into an infield pop-up out to end a clutch sixth inning. Parnell went three up, three down in the seventh inning, striking out the last batter to clinch her 15th save of the season, tying the Division I single-season saves record.
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She finished the day allowing no hits with a walk and two strikeouts through two innings.
Mizzou’s game time on Sunday is 5:05 p.m. A win on Sunday would put the Tigers in the Women’s College World Series for the first time since 2011 where they would face 2-seed Oklahoma.
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