Courtesy of Missouri Athletics
Cathedral City, Calif. – The 18th-ranked Mizzou Tiger Softball team jumped on top of #14 Arizona Saturday with two first-inning runs, then got a huge insurance run in the sixth on a solo home run from senior OF/DP Angela Randazzo, and it was good enough to claim a 3-2 win over the Wildcats. The win gave the Tigers a 4-1 trip over the weekend at the prestigious Mary Nutter Classic, with a pair of wins over ranked teams, and upped its season record to 8-2.
Randazzo jumped on a 2-1 inside pitch with two outs and the bases empty in the sixth, with MU clinging to a 2-1 lead at the time. Her solo blast gave the Tigers a little breathing room, and it would prove to be the winning run ultimately, after the Wildcats scored once in the top of the seventh. Randazzo’s dinger was her first of the 2015 season, and the 18th of her Tiger career.
The Tigers got things started early off Arizona starter Michelle Floyd, as junior CF Taylor Gadbois reached on an infield single and stole second. After a walk to junior RF Emily Crane, junior 2B Sami Fagan bounced a single up the middle to score Gadbois easily for a 1-0 lead. A walk to sophomore C Kirsten Mack loaded the bases, and then freshman 3B Amanda Sanchez got a run home for a 2-0 lead on a sacrifice fly. Floyd limited the damage, and the score would stay that way until the third, when Arizona scored an unearned run off Tiger freshman starter Paige Lowary after two hits and an error.
Lowary was outstanding in the circle Saturday, as she allowed just two hits in 4.0 complete innings, improving to 5-0 on the season. She gave way to sophomore Tori Finucane, who was effective in her 3.0 innings of work to earn her second save of the weekend. Finucane worked around trouble in the top of the seventh, when Arizona scored a run on a wild pitch to cut MU’s lead to 3-2. Finucane stranded the tying run at 3rd base though when she induced a fly ball to left field for the final out as LF Natalie Fleming was there to make the catch to end the game.
Gadbois was 2-for-3 in the game with a run and two stolen bases to make her a perfect 11-of-11 in steal attempts this season. The Maryville, Mo. native hit .471 over the weekend (8-of-17), and scored four runs while going 6-for-6 in steals. Mack drew a first-inning walk to extend her team-best active streak of reaching base safely to 10 games.
Tiger pitching was outstanding all weekend, with a staff ERA of just 1.99 over five games. Opponents hit just .197 against the Tiger hurlers and managed only four extra base hits in five games (all doubles).
Mizzou will travel to Kissimmee, Fla. Next weekend for the Citrus Classic, where they will take on Notre Dame and Penn State on Friday, Feb. 27th, followed by Saturday games against Minnesota and James Madison, then a Sunday single game against Maryland.
