University of Missouri
23 Kentucky
Softball Drops Series Finale at No. 23 Kentucky Sunday
3/9/2025 10:15:00 PM | Softball
LEXINGTON, Ky. - University of Missouri softball fell to No. 23 Kentucky, 9-6, Sunday at John Cropp Stadium to conclude its SEC opening weekend series.
With the loss, Missouri drops to 11-13 in 2025 (0-3 in SEC) while the Wildcats picked up the SEC series sweep to improve to 17-6 (3-0 SEC) this season.
Kentucky utilized a three-run third and a fourth-run fourth to secure the win.
Julia Crenshaw opened the contest with her third leadoff homer of the campaign (sixth overall homer in 2025, second of the weekend) to provide Mizzou an early 1-0 edge.
The Wildcats responded with a solo blast of their own in the bottom of the first to even the score.
Missouri would then hold a 3-2 edge following the second.
Abby Hay connected on an RBI double before Crenshaw registered her second RBI of the day on a groundout to short.
A Wildcats sacrifice fly then trimmed the MU margin to one (3-2).
Cassie Reasner knocked a three-run homer in the third to start a seven-run flurry (9-3 lead) for Kentucky.
The Tigers would respond with a trio of runs in the sixth. Abby Hay led off the stanza with a solo blast over the center field wall for her second homer of the season.
Hay, a sophomore from Columbia, Missouri, had a career-best matching two hits (2-for-3) with two RBI, two runs, a walk, a double and a homer.
Crenshaw added an RBI double down the left field line before Taylor Ebbs notched an RBI base hit to center to make the score 9-6.
Crenshaw finished 2-for-4 with three RBI, two runs, a walk, a double and a home run. She has reached base in 13-straight games (five-game hitting streak). Crenshaw is now three home runs away from matching her personal-best of nine set in 2023.
Ebbs, a Kentucky transfer, went 2-for-3 (season-high matching two hits) at the plate Sunday with an RBI and a walk. She reached base safely in all three games (two hits in back-to-back games) of the SEC opening series at her former school.
Marissa McCann started for Missouri, allowing two earned runs on four hits over 2.1 innings.
Taylor Pannell (3-3) was given the loss, as she surrendered four earned runs on one hit with three walks and two strikeouts over an inning of relief work.
Nathalie Touchet pitched the final 2.2 innings, allowing one earned run on three hits with a strikeout and two walks.
Kara Daly pushed her reached base streak to 11 games with a walk.
Claire Cahalan drew a personal-best two walks and is on a nine-game reached base streak. Mizzou totaled seven walks Sunday.
Freshman Nevaeh Watkins made her first career appearance, coming on as a defensive replacement in right field.
NEXT UP
- Missouri will next return to Columbia, for the 2025 Mizzou Invitational March 13-15, at the Mizzou Softball Stadium.
- All-Tournament passes ($20) and day passes are currently available for purchase online.
- Missouri will wrap the week of games, hosting Kansas City on March 16.
FOLLOW THE TIGERS
- For all the latest on Mizzou Softball, stay tuned to MUTigers.com and follow the team @MizzouSoftball (X, Instagram, Facebook).
- The Diamond Club is accepting new members. Email MAF@missouri.edu or call 573-882-0704 to join.
- Join us in Expanding the Tradition of excellence in Mizzou Softball! This special initiative focuses on building a Rock M at the Mizzou Softball Stadium, a centerpiece of Tiger pride. The Rock M will debut at the Tigers' 2025 Mizzou Invitational starting on March 13.
