RECAP: Break out those brooms for a Senior Day SWEEEEEEP!

Mizzou Softball’s seventh win in a row featured all the things you’d like to see in a regular season home finale: theatrics, offense, heroics, a 45 minute half-inning, approximately 6 million walks, and a standing o for a role player on Senior Day.

Aaaahhhhhh. We knew it was coming. The regular season home finale and Senior Day. A day to honor Kendyll Bailey, Alexis Burks, Abby George, Casidy Chaumont, Hatti Moore, Emma Raabe, Kim Wert, and Brooke Wilmes.

In case you were wondering about the offensive impact of these eight on the Tigers’ team this season, they’ve accounted for (going into Sunday) — I’m about to wow you with my calculator math skills: 724 AB | 146 Runs | 219 Hits | 99 Extra Base Hits | 54 Home Runs | 150 RBI | 86 Walks. WOW.

Now, about the game.

A crowd of about 2,200 was on hand at Mizzou Softball Stadium on a beautiful, yet windy 65 degree day, as our neighbors over at Mizzou Field attempted to get a series win against Mississippi State (spoiler alert: they did win, on a walk off… GO TEAM).

Warning: this is long, because this was a WILD game.

The Aggies actually struck first in this one, as Mizzou starter Jordan Weber allowed a walk, a single, and another walk before an RBI ground out scored a run. A single up the middle scored another run, making it 2-0 before a fly out and a great play by Casidy Chaumont to throw out a runner attempting to tag up ended the inning. In the second, the Tigers finally got on board after a Honnold walk, Chaumont single, and Daly fly out advanced the runners. Though Raabe struck out to end the inning, Honnold was able to score on a wild pitch, making it 1-2. In the third, Haley Lee – who had been largely absent in this series – hit a solo shot which put the Aggies up 3-1, but that’s all they got as Weber shut down the side.

In the bottom of the third, the inning that will forever be referred to as the “Eternity Inning”, Mizzou plated eight — yes, EIGHT — runs in what spanned about 45 minutes. Let’s recap:

Laird doubles down the LF line and advances to third on a wild itch. Wilmes walks and Bailey reaches on a perfect sac bunt that isn’t cleanly fielded and the Tigers score one, making it 2-3.

Wert is hit by a pitch, advancing the runners to second and third. With the bases loaded, Honnold walks, bringing a runner home and tying the game 3-3. Chaumont rips a single to center, scoring both KW and KB, and it’s 5-3. The Tigers have the lead!

At this point, Herzog is relieved and Emiley Kennedy comes in. Daly’s hit to the pitcher is misplayed, and CC scores on a throwing error and Honnold scores on a WP, making it 7-3. Daly then scores on a pass ball, and it’s 8-3. It was wild, y’all. Tiger runners everywhere.

KB walks with the bases loaded, and Raabe scores, walking home. This inning is crazy, and finally ends on an flyout by Kim Wert. It’s 9-3 Mizzou and it’s now midnight (kidding).

In the fourth, Weber ended up in a jam that ultimately drove her from the game after giving up a bases-clearing two-run triple, making it 8-5. Megan Schumacher entered and allowed an RBI single, before a strike out ended the inning with the score 8-6. Mizzou plated two more runs in the bottom of the inning, after a Raabe single and some excellent base running brought home both Chaumont and Honnold, making it 11-6. The Tigers were unable to tack on any other runs and left the bases loaded.

The fifth was swift for both teams, as Schu struck out two of the three batters she faced and Mizzou was sent down in order, their first 1-2-3 inning of the game. The top of the sixth also didn’t change the score, as Schu forced two more strikeouts and a line out to end the inning after allowing two walks.

In the bottom of the sixth, little seen Tiger (and CoMo native) Alexis Burks was brought in to pinch hit for Daly on her senior day, and singled to 2B, the second hit of her career. The crowd and her teammates roared, giving her a standing ovation as she was replaced on first by Maddie Snider, another CoMo native. It was a cool, cool moment.

In the seventh, after giving up a single and a walk, Laurin Krings was brought in to replace Schumacher, and struck out the two batters she faced, preserving the win for Schu and a sweep on Senior Day.

Stat Lines

Mizzou offense: 11 R | 7 H | 7 RBI | 2 2B | 9 BB | 3 K | 7 LOB

Weber’s stats: 3,2 IP | 6 H | 6 ER | 2 BB | 2 SO | 18 BF | 1 XBH | 79 pitches

Schu’s stats: 2.2 IP | 2 H | 4 BB| 5 SO | 1 WP | 14 BF | 60 pitches | WIN

Krings’ stats: 0.2 IP | 2 K | 2 BF | 9 pitches

A&M offense: 6 R | 8 H | 6 RBI | 1 2B | 1 HR | 6 BB | 9 K | 7 LOB

Herzog’s stats: 2.1 IP | 3 H | 7 ER | 4 BB | 1 XBH | 2 SO | 2 WP | 1 HBP | 15 BF | 65 pitches

Kennedy’s stats: 0.1 IP | 1 H | 2 ER | 3 BB | 1 XBH | 1 SO | 1 WP | 1 HBP | 15 BF | 58 pitches

Uribe’s stats: 3.1 IP | 3 H | 2 ER | 2 BB | 1 SO | 1 2B | 1 WP | 1 HBP | 6 BF | 58

What Went Well

• Mizzou hit .500 with the bases loaded, and loaded a lot, they were. While both teams were quite good from lead off, Mizzou’s .667 (4-for-6) outpaced A&M’s .429 (3-for-7).
• Base running!!! The Tigers were unafraid to be aggressive as hell on the bases, and it resulted in good things (except that weird Casidy Chaumont gaff where she kinda stuttered between first and second tagging up on a fly ball to right and was promptly thrown out at 2B).
• Jenna Laird was 1-for-3 with a double and a HBP. Kim Wert, while hitless on the day, was hit by a pitch and scored a run, and Kara Daly 1-for-2 with a single, a run scored, and a walk.
• The relievers, Megan Schumacher and Laurin Krings, were pretty great in this one. On a day Jordan Weber didn’t have her best stuff, they were there to get it done. And between the three pitchers, they struck out 9 Aggie batters, including three looking.
• Missouri matched their season high in walks with 9 (it felt more like 20). Coach Anderson praised their plate composure and discipline. “They understood what was happening on the mound, realizing that they’re waiting for their pitch and they don’t have to hit to score a run.”

What Didn’t

• Mizzou hit .304 and A&M had their best day at the plate, hitting .286, so they were pretty even. The Aggies also hit better than Mizzou with runners on (.357 vs MU’s .286 — not bad, but still…) and with runners in scoring position (.300 vs MU at only .231).
• Hatti Moore, Game One Hero, was the only Tiger to not get on base Sunday.
• Ace Jordan Weber, who had been phenomenal of late, had a lot of trouble on Sunday. The home plate umpire, while judging fairly I’d say for both teams, seemed to have a pretty narrow strike zone, and pitches that she might have normally gotten to go her way were not on Sunday. The Aggies hitters seemed to get a hold of everything that was a strike. Coach said she seemed fatigued and her legs looked tired, which she thought was weird considering Jordan looked great in the bullpen. Something to monitor…

Karen’s Players of the Game

• Alex.Freaking.Honnold. (AKA “The Speedster”) went 1-for-2 with 3 runs scored, a double, an RBI, and two walks. She was good in the field as well, making a couple really great plays.
• Casidy Chaumont was 2-for-3 with 2 hits, 2 runs scored, 2 RBI, and a walk. This was her 13th multi-hit game of the season. She also dazzled in the field and on the bases.
• Alexis Burks appearing in her first game this season, smoked a single in the sixth. What a moment for the role player. Coach called it “literally the highlight of the day.”

“I mean, you want it so bad for these role players and she’s been such a a contributing member and, you know, people don’t recognize players like that enough… Alexis Burks is in the bullpen every single day with the pitchers without being asked and for her to get an at bat and to have such a quality AB…”

• Emma Raabe continued her hot streak this series, reaching base at a .583 clip in the series. She drove in two with an RBI single, and she also walked.
• Brooke Wilmes reached base in all four of her plate appearances with three walks and a HBP. Her hitting streak remains in-tact at 10 because none of her plate appearances were countable on Sunday!
• Kendyll Bailey was technically hitless on the stat sheet, but she contributed a lot with 2 RBI and a walk. Her sac bunt scored a runner to kick off the run-fest in the third.

Fun Fact

Coach said that as she recruited Kim Wert in high school, so many people told her she couldn’t play at this level.

“I knew deep down she could,” Coach said. “So I wanted it so much more for her for all the people who were saying no. And for her to break the records and to be one of the best hitters in the SEC just shows you her commitment and dedication and how hard she worked to get herself to that level and to be able to do it in two and a half years… That’s remarkable.”

What Coach Had to Say

On this senior class:

“There’s no better way to finish your last home game in Mizzou Softball Stadium and Senior Day than a sweep against A&M. Really, really proud of our seniors. You know, they’s been amazing and represented the program. They obviously have the accolades and they’ve contributed a great deal, but more than that, they’re such great people. And I feel really honored to be able to coach them…. I didn’t recruit them other than Wert, but they’re my girls. I’ve been with them for four years, and they’ve gone through a lot of adversity and they’re so proud and loved, dedicated to Mizzou, and I would do absolutely anything for them.”

“They know the standards of us as coaches and standards of the program and they uphold them all the time, and the way they mentor the younger players and hold them accountable really well that will be passed on for years and years.”

Up Next

The no. 25 Tigers will take on no. 6 (likely not no. 6 anymore but the polls haven’t updated) Alabama next weekend to end the regular season. The Crimson Tide, once feared in this conference, are on bit of a skid, having lost two to Texas A&M last weekend, as well as a midweek game to Western Kentucky before they were off this weekend.

As always, stay up to date on all things Mizzou Softball this season by following me, @KarenSteger, and @RockMNation. I’ll have previews and recaps for each of Missouri’s series. When available, I’ll also be firing off some tweets from both accounts.