Missouri softball split its doubleheader against No. 8 Florida on Friday in Gainesville, Florida, beating the Gators 7-3 in Game 1 before falling 4-3 in Game 2.
Alex Honnold led the Tigers' offensive outburst in the first game. The junior belted two home runs — a two-run shot in the top of the first and a three-run blast in the top of the fifth. Sophomore Kara Daly added a solo home run in the sixth inning to give Missouri a 6-2 lead.
Jordan Weber fell one out short of a complete game, tossing 6 ⅔ innings while punching out four batters.
Laurin Krings started in the circle for the Tigers (19-10, 1-4 Southeastern Conference) in Game 2. She allowed four runs — one earned — on eight hits and two walks over 5 ⅓ innings.
Trailing 4-1, Missouri mounted a comeback effort in the top of the fifth. Honnold plated Maddie Snider with a single and Julia Crenshaw brought the Tigers within a run with a sacrafice fly before the rally ended.
Missouri wraps up its series against Florida (21-5, 1-1) at noon Sunday in Gainesville, Florida.
MU women's swimming struggles on Day 3 of NCAA Championships
Missouri women’s swim and dive continued competition on Friday for Day 3 of the NCAA Championships in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Senior Meredith Rees placed 27th in the 100-yard backstroke, finishing in 52.4 seconds. The three-time All-American honorable mention did not make it out of the preliminaries.
MU’s Katrina Brathwaite, Molly Gowans, Taylor Williams and Rees competed in the 400 medley relay, finishing 20th in 3:32:88.
Missouri, which is still without a point, looks to stop its scoring drought Saturday with Brathwaite and Malin Grosse competing in the 200 breaststroke and the relay team in the 400 free relay.
MU track and field's Rivera breaks school record in javelin
Missouri track and field graduate student Sophia Rivera set a new program record with her second toss in the women's javelin throw on the first day of the Yellow Jacket Invitational in Atlanta.
Rivera heaved the javelin 189 feet, 2 inches to take the record from current teammate Skylar Ciccolini, who set the record in 2021 at the Rock Chalk Classic.
Rivera and Ciccolini finished 1-2 in the women's javelin throw, with Ciccolini finishing with a throw of 181-11. Five other Tigers finished in the top 10 in the event.
Junior Emily Offenheiser had Missouri's other win on the day in the women's shot put, tossing the shot 47-4 ½.
In the women's hammer throw, Carolina Daza and Sydney Oberdiek finished second and third after slinging the hammer 194-0 and 193-4, respectively.
In the men's 100-meter dash, Jayson Ashford recorded a second-place finish with a time of 10.59.
The Tigers return to action at the invitational at 11 a.m. Saturday.
MU tennis earns first SEC win
Missouri tennis defeated Mississippi State 4-2 at the Cooper Tennis Complex in Springfield. The win snapped a six-game losing streak and was MU's first of SEC play. It was also the first win of interim coach Bianca Turati's career.
Missouri (10-7, 1-4 SEC) started hot, winning the doubles point with a pair of 6-2 victories.
MU extended its lead to 2-0 when Mae Canete defeated Emmanouela Antonaki 6-2, 6-4, but the Bulldogs (10-6, 0-5) promptly tied the score. Mississippi State's Gia Cohen beat Emelie Schwarte 6-2, 6-2, and Dharani Niroshan won 6-3, 6-0 against MU's Andrea Artimedi.
Missouri regained its lead after Inah Canete defeated No. 88 Maria Rizzolo 6-2, 6-2. Soon after, MU's Gabriela Martinez secured the match-clinching point with a 6-3, 7-6 (7-4) win over Alexandra Mikhailuk.
Missouri next plays Ole Miss at 11 a.m. Sunday at the Cooper Tennis Complex in Springfield.
MU women's golf in 12th at MountainView Collegiate
Missouri women's golf shot 2-over 290 in the first round of the MountainView Collegiate in Tucson, Arizona, putting the Tigers in 12th place out of 17 teams at the three-day tournament.
Freshman Jade Zamora led the Tigers, shooting 1-under 71. She was the lone Tiger under par and is tied for 18th. A stroke behind her at even par, Emily Staples is tied for 31st.
Melanie Walker shot 1 over and tied for 46th, and Kate Bibby and Sky Sload both shot 2 over to tie for 57th.
Addie Dobson competed as an individual and shot 10 over. She is in 89th place.
Missouri tees off at 8 a.m. Saturday in the second round. The Tigers will start on hole 10.
