The top of the order got it done.
Stuck with two hits through seven innings of regulation, Missouri softball’s best hitters stepped up to the plate in the eighth, needing just a run to down Louisiana State and secure a berth in the Southeastern Conference title game.
They got it. Leadoff hitter Jenna Laird singled to the left side of the infield. Alex Honnold followed it up with a crisp bunt that advanced Laird and wound up a single. A wild pitch moved them to second and third.
Second baseman Maddie Gallagher, whose third-inning home run had provided Mizzou’s only scoring to that point, smacked a fly ball to right field.