COLUMBIA, Mo. – Sophomore C Kirsten Mack drove in career high five runs on a grand slam and a double to lead the 10th-seeded Mizzou softball team past Kansas and into an NCAA Super Regional with a 7-6 1win Sunday at University Field. Mizzou (42-14) advanced to play either No. 7-seed UCLA or San Diego State next weekend for a spot in the Women’s College World Series.

The Jayhawks ended their campaign with a 40-15 record.

Tiger sophomore P Cheyenne was credited with the win, improving to 3-1 on the year. She scattered four hits and allowed four runs, all unearned, in 4.2 innings of work. Freshman P Paige Lowary came on for the final 1.1 innings to earn her fourth save of the season.

Kansas struck early with a pair of runs in the bottom of the first. With the bases loaded and two outs, C Jessie Roane lofted a single just over the glove of Tiger 2B Sami Fagan and into center to plate the first run. A single through the right side brought home the Jayhawks’ second run of the inning for the quick 2-0 advantage.

The Tigers erased their early deficit immediately with three runs of their own in the top of the second. A HBP from freshman DP Amanda Sanchez and a walk from senior SS Corrin Genovese put runs on first and second with one out. Sophomore C Kirsten Mack roped a double to right center, her first hit of the Regional, to score Sanchez from second base. Genovese then scored on a bloop single to shallow left from senior 3B Angela Randazzo and Mack scampered home on a wild pitch for a 3-2 Mizzou lead.

Mack’s two-out grand slam in the top of the third stretched Missouri’s advantage to 7-2. A single from Sanchez sandwiched between walks to Fagan and Genovese set the stage for Mack. The sophomore got a hold of a 1-1 pitch and sent a laser through a stiff wind and over the left field bleachers for her team-leading 15th dinger of the year.

A four-run sixth for the Jayhawks cut the Tigers’ lead to just 7-6 with one inning remaining. Three Mizzou errors, a HBP and a walk scored the runs and got Kansas right back in the game.

Lowary worked around a one-out walk in the bottom of the seventh to preserve the Missouri win and send the Tigers to Super Regionals.

Jayhawk P Alicia Pille dropped to 25-8 on the season with the loss.

— MU Sports Information —