Mizzou prevailed against Minnesota and South Dakota on Friday to start off its Bye-Week Series. The Tigers now have a 10-16 record on the season.
Stefania Abruscato hit a string of doubles to lead the way to victory for Mizzou. She started the evening with a hit to center that drove in two runs for the Tigers in the third. She struck again in the fourth when she launched a missile to left field to bring in two more runs. She made her final double in the sixth to secure the 8-1 win for the Tigers.
Abruscato shone defensively as well, with a swift throw to Hay to pick off a runner on first in the fourth. She completed the game with five RBI and six putouts.
Plays that also contributed to the score were when Abby Hay made a sacrifice play to earn a run in the third. Pinch runner Danielle Blackstun then slid into home off a bunt from Sophie Smith to add another run on top of it.
Marissa McCann pitched a complete game with four hits and one earned run.
In just the first inning, Sophie Smith grounded out to send Addy Waits home to earn a run. Sidney Forrester and Abby Carr hit a pair of homers in the third to tally up four more runs.
Smith doubled to right to bring in two runs in the fourth. Madison Uptegrove doubled soon after to add two more runs of her own, producing the Tigers the 9-4 win.
The defensive play of the game was in the fifth, when Smith tossed a ground ball to Uptegrove on second, who tagged the runner and threw to Hay to get an out on first in a swift double play.
Cierra Harrison had 3.2 innings pitched and allowed four hits and four runs. Courtney Donahue relieved Harrison in the fourth where she pitched for 2.0 innings and had four hits with no runs. Carr took over in the sixth to close out the game. She allowed no runs or hits.
Mizzou softball will continue its weekend at home with a rematch against South Dakota at 2:30 p.m. tomorrow at the Mizzou Softball Stadium.