CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. - No. 20 Missouri softball is off to a 2-1 start to the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic after splitting its games against Notre Dame and Texas on Thursday, then beating No. 7 Washington on Friday.
Missouri got its first win of the weekend after shutting out Notre Dame 8-0 on Thursday.
Madi Norman (Tipton High School) pitched all five innings, giving up four hits while striking out 10.
Chloe Rathburn went 3-for-3 for the Tigers with all three hits being RBI singles. Braxton Burnside added a two-RBI double and Rylee Pierce hit a two-run home run in the third inning. Jolie Duffner (Blair Oaks High School) stole home in the fourth inning.
The Tigers lost to Texas later that day 10-3. Mack hit a sacrifice fly to plate Lexi Ramptsreiter then Pierce scored after Burnside and Paige Bange (Helias High School) each reached by error. Cheyenne Baxter (1-1) took the loss for the Tigers, giving up two runs on no hits and two walks with two strikeouts in three innings. Danielle Baumgartner was tabbed for eight runs on 11 hits and three walks with three strikeouts.
Missouri came back to beat Washington 9-5 on Friday. The Huskies got off to a 5-0 start in the top of the first, but Mack and Burnside hit back-to-back home runs in the bottom of the frame to make it 5-3. Burnside homered again in the third to tie it at five, and Missouri took the lead on Cayla Kessinger's RBI single in the sixth. Natalie Flemming added a home run that inning for the Tigers.
Norman (4-1) got the win, going all seven innings. She gave up one earned run on seven hits and no walks, while recording 10 strikeouts.
Mack and Burnside each went 2-for-3.
Missouri (7-3) plays a doubleheader today to finish the Classic, first meeting Nebraska at 7:30 p.m., then taking on UC-Barbara at 10 p.m.