Hay, Krings Lift No. 14 Missouri Softball to Series-Opening Win Over Mississippi State

Entering the weekend, No. 14 Missouri softball likely needed at least one win over No. 18 Mississippi State in order to clinch hosting a Regional.

While nothing is guaranteed between now and Selection Sunday, the Tigers put themselves in a pretty stellar spot to host a Regional with a series-opening 4-0 win over the Bulldogs on Saturday night.

Missouri got the scoring started early courtesy of the red-hot Abby Hay. Entering tonight, Hay was 16 for her last 36 (.444), and she quickly made it 17 for her last 37. With runners on first and second, Hay ripped a line drive into left field; Brylie St. Clair's attempt to field the howitzer went awry, as it skipped past her and rolled all the way to the wall. Both runners scored to put the Tigers up 2-0.

Both sides saw their bats go dormant...that was until Hay struck again in the bottom of the fifth. While her hit was far from a scorcher, it still brought home a run. It was a dribbler off her bat to first base, but first baseman Madisyn Kennedy's throw home didn't get there in time, and Jenna Laird slid home safely.

MU's fourth run came on another fielding mishap by the Bulldogs. In the bottom of the sixth, Jenna Laird hit a pop-up into shallow center field. As the shortstop, second baseman and center field all converged on the ball simultaneously, they created a fateful Bermuda Triangle, and the ball dropped right in the middle of it. Since there were two outs, Chantice Phillips was already booking it from second base, and she made it home safely.

Krings looked like her old self again, pitching her second complete game shutout of the season while allowing just three hits en route to her 11th win. She never allowed more than two base runners in a single inning, and she threw the complete game in just 81 pitches.

"Her focus has been spot-on. When you watch her, she knows the end is near, and she's like, the time is now," Anderson said. "It just shows that last week, how well she threw, wasn't a fluke and that she can repeat that behavior and that outing and that command. "

Hay and Laird led the way with two hits apiece. With a 2/3 performance, the red-hot Hay is now 18 for her last 39 since Mar. 26.

"She doesn't try to do too much," Anderson said. "She's not up there looking to try to hit home runs or do something that's uncharacteristic."

The win also means that Missouri didn't lose a single series-opening game in the conference slate.

The Tigers will be back in action tomorrow for Senior Day. First pitch is set for 5 p.m. CST.