Frustration reigns

The Tigers had their chances in both games, but just couldn’t capitalize.

GAME ONE: Missouri 0 — Ole Miss 1

With weather issues (hopefully) a thing of the past, the Missouri Tigers (18-17, 1-6 SEC), under the overcast skies at Ole Miss Softball Stadium in Oxford faced off against the SEC strikeouts and shutouts leader, Miali Guachino, and the #19/21 Ole Miss Rebels (27-6, 4-3 SEC).

The story of this game was quite simple; it’s difficult, if not impossible, to win in the SEC when you can’t get at least two of the three facets together. Mizzou had one facet working, as I am adamant that this loss is not on Mizzou starter Marissa McCann (7-7, 3.23 ERA), who was sharp and did her part. She’s a rise ball pitcher and as such, will allow contact. But her defense did her no favors, and the offense was anemic for the second game in a row, resulting in yet another shutout.

Guachino (12-5, 1.74 ERA), the no. 40 overall player in her class per Extra Innings, forced nine Tiger strikeouts, and now has an SEC-leading 143 strikeouts this season. She allowed just two walks and two hits to go with a hit by pitch.

Only a handful of Tigers had any sort of success against the freshman phenom, and their best chance to get any runs aboard came in the third inning, as Claire Cahalan worked a 1-out walk, but was caught stealing for the second out. Julia Crenshaw and Madison Walker each singled to put two on, and the CS came back to bite the Tigers, as Daly struck out to end the inning. This would be the only time Missouri had two runners on the entire game, and they didn’t even have another inning with a single runner again until the top of the sixth, when Daly worked a walk.

As for McCann vs. the Rebels’ offense, Ole Miss was 5-for-11 with two outs, but only had one run to show for it as McCann was able to get out trouble with relative ease. The Rebs got two runners on in the bottom of the second after a single got by the outstretched Kara Daly and a single to left put two on with two out. However, McCann made her own third out on a groundout to end the threat.

In the bottom of the third, after allowing a two-out double, McCann’s defense failed her, as Uptegrove misplayed a grounder at short that allowed Ole Miss to plate a run. It should have been called an error, but instead they charged it to McCann. In the bottom of the fifth, again with two outs, McCann allowed back-to-back singles, but a flyout ended it. In the sixth, Koller, the leftfielder, was credited with an error on a single, but that seemed like less an error than the other one, frankly, and that ended McCann’s day at the dish as her Adi’s strong throw couldn’t catch Brady at second. Taylor Pannell entered to finish the game, allowing a walk and a sac bunt before forcing a flyout.

Missouri went down easily in the seventh, assuring Ole Miss of the victory. You’re just not going to win a whole lot of games when you only have two hits and two walks and strand four runners.

GAME TWO: Missouri 2 — Ole Miss 5

With Cierra Harrison (7-5, 3.87 ERA) in the circle for Missouri, the Tigers set out to avoid their third consecutive SEC loss… or so I thought. The ineptitude of this offense with a single runner on, let alone multiple, combined with the bizarre pitching decisions, left me feeling all sorts of feelings, and none of them were pleasant.

The Tigers got on top early in this one, with Taylor Ebbs hitting a solo shot to right to give them a 1-0 lead in the second inning, and the Tigers had the opportunity for much more as Madison Uptegrove reach on a one-out single before Kayley Lenger was hit by pitch. After a ground out, Claire Cahalan walked to load the bases, but Julia Crenshaw couldn’t get it done and grounded out to third to end the inning.

As has been the case for much of the season, this would be a common thread.

The Tigers’ lead did not last long, as Lexie Brady hit her 11th homer of the season to tie it up 1-1 in the home half, but the Rebels, much like the Tigers, couldn’t capitalize in the moment, as Roman was stranded on first with a single as a flyout ended the inning.

Mizzou again tried to get something going in the third, as Kara Daly worked a one-out double, her eighth of the season, and Ebbs followed with a single to right. But groundouts by Uptegrove and Walker stranded yet two more runners, putting their LOB total at five.

In the home half, Ole Miss struck again, as Pickens hit a one-out solo shot to center to make it 2-1, but the Rebels again were unable to fully capitalize, as two Ole Miss runners were stranded after a double and a single, putting their LOB total at three.

In the fourth, Mya Dodge, pinch-hitting for Smith, walked, but then was inexplicably caught wayyyy off the bag on Cahalan’s fly out, ending the inning on a double play. It was super careless and cost the Tigers another chance to get the offense going. Harrison worked an easy 1-2-3 in the bottom of the inning to give her team another chance to claw back into it.

In the top of the fifth, the Tigers got their return homer, as Crenshaw’s solo shot to center made it 2-2, before Ebbs walked. The double-play monster again reared its ugly head, though, as Walker grounded into a double play to end it and strand yet another one.

In the bottom of the fifth, after a leadoff walk and foul out Anderson made the curious decision to pull Cierra Harrison at just 55 pitches and bring in Taylor Pannell, who pitched just 2/3 in Game 1. A wild pitch allowed the runner to take second, but a strikeout and groundout ended it.

Still knotted at two apiece, how would the Tigers respond in the sixth? Not well, it turned out. Despite a successful bunt by Kayley Lenger, it was sandwiched in between two strikeouts, and Cahalan grounded out to Binford for the third out, stranding yet another.

Ole Miss landed the return punch it was looking for in the bottom of the sixth and then just kept punching for a TKO, as another solo shot, this one by Llamas, gave the Rebels the lead once again, 3-2. It was Pannell’s seventh of the season and I began to question my sanity. After Brady was hit by a pitch, a successful sacrifice bunt allowed her pinch runner to advance to second. A double to right field then plated another run, making it 4-2, before Pannell was removed for Jayci Kruse, who has been more of a “break in case of emergency” or “use in case of a blowout” pitcher. It seemed like an odd choice, given her limited playing time— she’s pitched just three innings this season and none last year. Kruse immediately allowed a single up the middle to PH Mackay, making it 5-2, before getting out of the inning with a strikeout and a fielder’s choice. The Tigers would add one more run courtesy of — you guessed it — a two-out solo home run, this time by Kara Daly, to make it 5-3, but Ebbs grounded out to end the game.

UP NEXT: The Tigers will try to get their second SEC win of the season and avoid a sweep on Monday at 6pm CST on SEC Network. Then they’ll return home for a game against MO State at 5pm on Wednesday before welcoming in no. 1 Texas next weekend in Friday-Sunday series.