MU softball stunned by IUPUI in nine innings, bounces back against Indiana State

Twice three outs away from an astounding comeback victory, Missouri softball just couldn’t put away IUPUI.

The Tigers couldn’t find a way to get those three final outs and fell to the Jaguars 9-8 on Saturday on the second day of the Louisville Invitational on a walk-off by redshirt sophomore Delaney Thompson.

After being held to just one run - a fifth-inning solo homer from Jazmyn Rollin - in the first six innings, Missouri exploded for four runs in the top of the seventh. After a Kolby Romaine double brought the Tigers to within a run at 3-2, the team leader in homers, Kimberly Wert, did what she does best and sent one over the left-field wall for a three-run shot.

With one swing of the bat, Missouri (11-7) was on top after being down since the first inning.

All the Tigers needed was a clean bottom of the seventh from sophomore Summer Shockley and they could put the game in the win column. Of course, the inning did not go as planned.

Before an out was recorded, the score was evened on a leadoff single followed by a two-run round-tripper courtesy of Haley Ginger. With both teams sitting at five runs, the game moved to extras.

Neither team was able to push across a run in the eighth inning as the contest extended to the ninth.

With two runners on, sophomore Brooke Wilmes laced a double into right center field, scoring two runs. Fellow sophomore Hattli Moore brought Wilmes in to score on a double of her own, bringing the Missouri lead to 8-5. Yet again, the Tigers were three outs away from victory.

Junior Eli Daniel was tasked with securing the MU win. After retiring the side in order in the eighth, as well as the lead-off batter in the ninth, the game looked safe in her hands.

Unfortunately for the Tigers, she would not be able to put away another batter.

With a runner automatically placed on second at the start of every extra inning, Daniel consecutively gave up a walk, a two-run double, a game-tying double, another walk, a single to load the bases and, finally, a walk-off single to center from Thompson.

With victory seemingly at their fingertips, the Tigers fell in gut-punching fashion.

Missouri had no time to reflect on its heart-wrenching defeat as the second half of its doubleheader against Indiana State was just minutes away.

Missouri rebounds from tough loss

In the Tigers’ first on Saturday, it took them until the seventh inning to score their second run.

In their second game, they had a 2-0 lead after their third at-bat.

This trend held true throughout Missouri’s 11-1 rout of Indiana State (7-7).

Missouri made sure its opponent had no chance of making a miraculous comeback in this matchup, putting up three runs in the first and fourth innings and five runs in the second. In what seemed like the blink of an eye, MU run-ruled Indiana State in five innings.

The offense was balanced for the Tigers as seniors Kolby Romaine and Regan Nash, as well as Moore, recorded two RBI.

MU starter Madi Norman pitched a complete game, allowing just one run on five hits.

Supervising editor is Theo DeRosa.