Defensive Miscues Cost Vols in Loss to Mizzou

Saturday, April 2

Columbia, Mo.

12:00 PM

University of Tennessee

27-9, 7-4

No. 15/15 Missouri

24-8, 4-4

Tennessee

Mizzou

April 02, 2016 | Softball

Box Score

April 2, 2016

Box Score | Highlights |

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Defensive miscues cost No. 17/16 Tennessee in its loss to No. 15/15 Missouri on Saturday afternoon at University Field.

The Vols (27-9, 7-4 SEC) committed three errors late in the game that allowed the Tigers (24-8, 4-4 SEC) to come back for 5-4 win. Erin Gabriel made her 21st start and went the distance to record her seventh complete game this season, but was stuck with the loss after giving up five runs (three earned) on eight hits. The senior from Poland, Ohio also struck out nine Mizzou batters in the loss.

Megan Geer had the best day of any Vol at the plate, going 3-for-4 with three RBIs. Aubrey Leach had the other RBI for UT and went 2-for-3 on the afternoon to extend her hit streak to six games.

Emily Crane had a big day for the Tigers, hitting a pair of home runs and driving in three of Missouri's five runs. She put the Tigers up 1-0 in the bottom of the first inning with a leadoff home run to center field. Gabriel settled in after the leadoff homer and retired the next three batters to get out of the inning.

UT wasted no time erasing that one-run deficit, scoring four runs in the top of the second. An error sandwiched between a pair of singles from Rainey Gaffin and Scarlet McSwain loaded the bases with one out for the Vols. Leach came through with a bloop single to score Gaffin and tie the game at one before Geer cleared the bases with a three-run double to right field.

Crane got Mizzou right back in the game with her second home run of the afternoon, a two-run shot over the scoreboard in center field to cut the Tennessee lead to 4-3 in the bottom of the third inning.

A pair of errors put the Tigers in a good position to tie the game in the bottom of the fifth. They would go on to load the bases and tie the game on an RBI walk by Sami Fagan, but Gabriel was able to limit the damage to just one run by striking out Amanda Sanchez to get out of the jam. The strikeout was the eighth of the game for Gabriel and left the bases loaded for Missouri.

Another defensive miscue aided in the Tigers scoring the game-winning run as Kristen Mack reached on an error at second base to lead off the sixth inning before coming around to score on a single down the right-field line by Chase Nelson.

The Vols went down in order in the top of the seventh to end the game. UT's two through five hitters in the order really struggled, going 0-for-14 with seven strikeouts for the game.

The rubber match between the Vols and Tigers will be tomorrow at 1 ET on SEC Network +/WatchESPN (online). Fans can also listen to the game live on WNML AM 990 or UTSports.com as Brian Rice has the call.