Tori Finucane (photo/Mizzou Athletics)
No. 15 Mizzou Softball shutout No. 13 Texas A&M 7-0 to start Southeastern Conference play. Leading the way was freshman pitcher Tori Finucane of Germantown, Md., who finished seven strikeouts and three hits allowed in the win.
Finucane (6-2) helped head coach Ehren Earleywine’s squad improve to 13-3 (1-0 SEC), while the Aggies dropped to 17-5 (0-1 SEC). Finucane issued just two walks in the contest with only one of the three hits going for extra bases. The win was her second shutout victory over a ranked team this season, with the Tiger newcomer leading Mizzou to a 2-0 win over then-No. 14 Arizona (Feb. 20).
The Tigers were led at the plate with home runs from senior OF Mackenzie Sykes of Blue Springs, Mo., junior 3B/C Angela Randazzo and junior 1B Kelsea Roth.
Mizzou and Texas A&M continue on Saturday, March 8, at 1 p.m., rescheduled from 4 p.m. to avoid potentially inclement weather. The Tigers and Aggies finish the series on Sunday, March 9, at noon.
The Tigers’ first home contests of the 2014 season will be against SEC foe Kentucky from March 14-16 at University Field.
