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An action-packed third inning from Mizzou Softball, along with a strong two-way performance from Stefania Abruscato, against Minnesota helped it secure a 8-1 win to begin the Mizzou Bye-Week Series on a high note. After the opening win, the Tigers capped off the double-header with a 9-4 win over South Dakota as Abby Carr set the tone in the box and in the circle.
Here’s how Friday looked from the press box across the two wins:
Game 1
The Tigers and Gophers couldn’t crack the seal early, starting the contest with two scoreless innings. It wasn’t until the third frame when Mizzou’s bats got hot.
After a Kayley Lenger walk, Addy Waits dropped one into shallow center field and secured an extra base with a fielding error from the Gophers. Stefania Abruscato then drove both runners home with a stand-up double. Following the two RBI double from Abruscato, Minnesota elected to make a pitching change.
After the change, Abby Hay grounded out but not before Abruscato got home. Sophie Smith then successfully bunted, bringing pinch runner Danielle Blackstun home. After the inning, Mizzou was up 4-0.
The Gophers responded when Tinley Easton blasted home her second homer of the season to give Minnesota hope. When the Gophers finally had some momentum on their side, Abruscato showed her impact on the defensive side of the ball with a pickoff at first base to get the Tigers out of the inning only allowing one score.
Dream team making thigs happen
T4 | MIZ 4 MINN 1#MIZ | #Ownitpic.twitter.com/oDXIpQ6Mgu
— Mizzou Softball (@MizzouSoftball) March 13, 2026
Abruscato continued her dominance with a second RBI double in the fourth to bring home Uptegrove and Lenger. At this point, her RBI total was up to four.
McCann had a strong outing highlighted by a 1-2-3, all strikeout, first frame. She finished pitching all seven innings with six strikeouts, allowing three hits and the lone run to help Mizzou secure the victory. The Gophers (9-18) struggled in the circle with three different pitchers sharing time with two innings apiece.
Fielding errors resulted in Smith making it home in the fifth frame thanks to a sac-fly from Carr.
With two outs in the bottom of the sixth, Abruscato hit her THIRD triple of the game, this time just one RBI, to give the Tigers a 8-1 lead headed into the final frame. McCann shut the door in the top of the seventh, finishing her complete game and giving Mizzou some momentum to build off of over the weekend.
Game 2
Harrison bounced back from an early walk in the first inning, sitting down three consecutive batters including a pair of strikeouts. Mizzou took the lead in the bottom of the inning after finding ways to get on base. Waits walked before moving to second on an Abruscato single. Hay loaded the bases with a walk of her own. Smith recorded an RBI on a fielder’s choice, giving the Tigers a 1-0 lead. Abruscato was the only Tiger in the second game to record multiple hits.
South Dakota immediately flipped the script in the second inning, drawing a walk before Autumn Iverson hit a home run to put Mizzou in a 2-1 hole.
The Tigers regained the lead on a pair of home runs in the third. Sidney Forrester hit a solo shot to tie the game at two apiece. Hay reached on an error before Smith walked, putting runners on first and second. Abby Carr stepped up to the occasion with a three-run homer that BARELY scraped over the left field wall. South Dakota challenged but the umpires confirmed it barely cleared the wall to give the Tigers a 5-2 lead through three.
South Dakota cut that lead to one with a pair off runs in the fourth inning. Three singles and a walk brought the two runners across and chased Cierra Harrison out of the circle. Courtney Donahue limited the damage with a strikeout to keep Mizzou ahead. Harrison finished the day with 3.2 innings pitched, giving up four runs, four hits, three walks while striking out three.
Mizzou responded in the bottom of the inning with four runs of their own. The Tigers loaded the bases once again as Smith drove in the first two runs with a double. Uptegrove added the next two with another double of her own, giving Mizzou its largest lead of the game. Smith led the offense with three RBI, two runs on a walk and a double.
Adding two more to the score
E4 MIZ 9 USD 4#MIZ | #OwnItpic.twitter.com/dNxHpmRj21
— Mizzou Softball (@MizzouSoftball) March 14, 2026
Donahue gave up two singles to start the fifth before rebounding with a double play and a strikeout. She recorded two outs to start the sixth before giving up two bloop singles and being pulled in favor of Abby Carr who escaped the inning with a groundout. Donahue’s day ended with 2.0 innings pitched, allowing four hits while striking out three.
Carr closed the game with three straight outs in the seventh, closing the door on a 9-4 win. Carr pitched only 1.1 innings but struck out three batters while allowing no baserunners of her own.
Mizzou is back for yet another double-header to close the weekend, this time against South Dakota and Iowa State. The Tigers face off against the Coyotes once again at 2:30 p.m. at the Mizzou Softball Stadium.
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