Missouri softball eliminated from SEC Tournament

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - The 11th-seeded Missouri Tigers were eliminated in the first round of the Southeastern Conference Softball Tournament Wednesday night after losing to No. 6 seed LSU 6-5.

Missouri (29-26, 7-17 SEC) now wait to see if they will receive an at-large bid for the NCAA Tournament.

Both teams started the first inning with a pair of hits but neither could score. LSU struck first after Sydney Springfield hit a two-run home run to center field off Missouri starter Cheyenne Baxter in the bottom of the second inning.

Natalie Fleming tied the game in the top of the fourth after she hit a two-run, bases loaded single with no outs. LSU. however, turned a doulbe play to limit the scoring to those two runs.

Baxter started the bottom of the fourth by striking out a pair, but walked loaded the bases on three consecutive walks. Sahvanna Jaquish made Baxter pay with a grand slam to give LSU the 6-2 lead.

Cayla Kessinger kept Missouri alive with an RBI double in the top of the seventh, and scored on an RBI single from Braxton Burnside. Kirsten Mack got Missouri within a run after an RBI single but was thrown out trying to take second base and Missouri couldn't score again.

Kessinger, Burnside and Kolby Romaine all went 2-for-4 for Missouri. Cheyenne Baxter (16-9) went 32/3 innings and gave up six runs on five hits and four walks with a pair of strikeouts. Madi Norman (Tipton High School) walked a batter and struck out another in 21/3 innings of relief.

Missouri will find out its NCAA Tournament fate at 9 p.m. Sunday during the Tournament Selection Show.