CLEARWATER, Fla. – No. 6 Tennessee, No. 7 Duke, No. 15 Missouri, No. 19 Nebraska and RV Kentucky posted two wins on day two of the 2025 NFCA Division I Leadoff Classic presented by MaxBP Friday at the Eddie C. Moore Softball Complex.
Kentucky combined for 19 runs and 22 hits as it blanked Pittsburgh, 7-0, and followed with a 12-4 (5 innings) triumph over Notre Dame. The 2024 Leadoff champs Mizzou opened its defense with a 9-1 (5 innings) victory over Marshall and blanked No. 21 Northwestern, 3-0. The Lady Vols (2-1) rebounded from its season-opening loss yesterday pushing across 20 runs in 10-0 and 10-1 run-rule wins over Bethune-Cookman and Iowa. The Huskers, who opened with a 7-1 win over Tennessee on Thursday, pushed across 21 runs in their two contests, 12-2 and 9-1 five-inning wins against Southern Miss and BCU. The sixth-ranked Blue Devils broke open a 1-0 game with a six-run seventh to collect a 7-0 win over Penn State and continued the momentum into their matchup against Mississippi State, shutting out the 24th-ranked Bulldogs, 8-0 in five innings.
Tournament Central | Schedule (PDF) | Download GameChanger App
| Purchase Tickets
Six programs – Iowa, Mississippi State, Morgan State, Northwestern, Pitt, Southern Miss – earned their first wins of 2025, while Texas Tech rallied for a 10-9 win over Penn State to split the day. The Hawkeyes, Bulldogs, Bears and Wildcats each earned wins in their season openers. Morgan State collected the program’s first-ever win against Notre Dame, 5-4, and the Atlantic Coast Conference. Iowa and Northwestern notched 5-0 and 5-4 wins over Kennesaw State, respectively. Southern Miss topped Marshall, 6-2 and Mississippi State defeated No. 13 Texas Tech, 3-1 in eight innings.
All games will be streamed live for free courtesy of NFCA Official Sponsor GameChanger, the sole streaming provider of the tournament.
Highlighting Saturday’s schedule is a tripleheader live on MLB Network featuring Duke and Missouri at 1:00 p.m. followed by Nebraska and Texas Tech at 4:00 p.m. with No. 6 Tennessee and No. 21 Northwestern closing it out at 7:00 p.m.
The NFCA (National Fastpitch Coaches Association) is the professional organization for fastpitch softball coaches. Known for its competitive Leadoff Classics, the NFCA also educates and supports softball coaches on a variety of different levels: from a highly-regarded Awards Program to a comprehensive drills database, to in-person events and a National Convention.
Learn more about the NFCA and consider joining our lineup of 7,000 coaches today!
