Mizzou Softball Shut Down by Ole Miss in SEC Tournament, Ends Season in Disappointing Fashion

On Tuesday, Mizzou softball's season came to and end with a 1-0 loss to No. 17/19 Ole Miss in the first round of the SEC Tournament.

At 25-32, the Tigers fell way short of the NCAA's required overall win percentage of at least 50 to be considered for the NCAA Tournament. It'll mark the first time since 2006 that MU won't make Regionals.

The Tigers couldn't figure out Ole Miss starting pitcher Brianna Lopez all afternoon. Lopez, who allowed just three hits in her only other appearance against Mizzou this season on March 31, steamrolled through the Tiger lineup once again. She registered a nearly identical statline, allowing only three hits while tallying six strikeouts. Her off-speed was lethal, as five of her seven strikeouts came via the changeup.

Marissa McCann pitched extremely well, allowing just five hits and one earned run. The only run of the game came in the first inning, when Persey Llamas scored Jaden Pone on a double to left center field. Taylor Pannell entered in relief for McCann in the seventh inning. She needed just four pitches to retire the side.

However, the Tigers offered almost no support offensively. They threatened in the top of the seventh, as they had runners on first and second with a pair of walks. However, Abbie Wilhelm struck out looking to end not just the game, but MU's season as well.

Eight years ago, the Rebels captured the SEC Tournament title as a No. 7 seed, winning four games in four days to become the highest seed to ever win the SEC Tournament. Mizzou tried to make similar history this week; unfortunately for the Tigers, they made a different, more negative kind of history.