Missouri Tigers’ bats pack a wallop in Super Regional victory over James Madison
Missouri’s bats came to life and there will be a winner-take-all game for a Women’s College World Series berth.
The Tigers walloped James Madison 7-1 on Saturday in the second game of the Super Regional in Columbia. Mizzou needed this one after falling in Friday’s opener.
Game 3 begins at noon on Sunday in Columbia.
Powered by a pair of solo home runs by Cayla Kessinger and a three-run homer by Brooke Wilmes, Missouri reversed Friday’s effort where the Tigers mustered one hit and five baserunners. Saturday, Mizzou broke it open with six runs in the second inning.
Kessinger got it started with her first blast, delivering Odicci Alexander’s offering over the right-field wall. The shot energized the full house at Mizzou Softball Stadium and the Tigers’ dugout.
“There is nothing better, and I will say this until the day I die, than hugging your teammates after a home run,” Kessinger said.
Mizzou (42-16) was just getting started off Alexander, who got the starting call after pitching all seven innings on Friday.
Casidy Chaumont singled and Emma Raabe was hit by a pitch. James Madison looked to get out of the inning with little damage when Abby George bounced back to the pitcher, but Alexander’s throw was mishandled for an error and Chaumont scored.
Wilmes stepped up and sent her blast to left-center for a 5-0 lead.
Jenna Laird doubled and that chased Alexander, who took her first loss this season (15-1). Hatti Moore then singled off Alissa Humphrey, driving in Laird, to complete the six-run barrage.
Given a big cushion, Missouri starter Laurin Krings settled in and breezed through the Dukes’ lineup until surrendering a run in the seventh. She struck out 10 and surrendered four hits.
“Today just showed us how tough we are,” Missouri coach Larissa Anderson said. “If they weren’t tough kids, they would have given in, easily would have packed it in after yesterday. But they are fierce competitors.”
James Madison saw their 28-game winning streak come to an end and fell to 38-2 on the season.
The Tigers are looking the seventh World Series berth in program history. Their last trip to Oklahoma City came in 2011.
This story was originally published May 29, 2021 at 8:54 PM.