University of Missouri
Oklahoma
Tiger Softball Team Opens Conference Season with Win
3/25/2006 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 25, 2006
Norman, Okla. - Missouri (16-11) opened its Big 12 season in Norman, Okla., with an 8-6 victory over No. 15 Oklahoma (23-9-1). The win is the Tiger's first in three games in Norman and snaps Missouri's longest losing streak of the season (three games). The last time Missouri won a game in Norman was March 26, 2003 (2-0).
The Tigers put up one run in the first frame. With two outs on the board, sophomore pitcher Jen Bruck (St. Peters, Mo.) drew a walk from OU southpaw D.J. Mathis and advanced home on redshirt sophomore Micaela Minner's (Sanger, Texas) standup double to left center.
Oklahoma tied things up in the bottom of the inning, scoring one run off one hit, but Bruck helped Missouri regain the lead with a leadoff fourth inning home run over the wall in centerfield. Swinging at the first pitch, Bruck crushed the ball just over the outstretched glove of Sooner centerfielder Kristin Vesely. Next at the plate, Minner singled down the right field line, stole second base, advanced to third on a ground out and came home on a wild pitch. Oklahoma Head Coach Patty Gasso went to the bullpen for the first of four times of the game, bringing out right-handed Morgan Hudsonpillar who shut down the inning by striking out back-to-back Tigers.
Freshman shortstop Andee Allen (Barnhart, Mo.) (2-for2) scored Missouri's fourth run of the game in the fifth inning. Allen led off with a single to the gap in right center and made her way to third on back-to-back wild pitches. Senior Janessa Roening (Port Angeles, Wash.) sent up the one-out sac fly to centerfield that brought Allen home. Gasso sent Nicole Dennes in relief after Hudsonpillar twirled 1.1 innings, allowed one run off one hit and walked three batters. Dennes closed out the inning with a strikeout.
The Sooners pulled within two runs in the fifth, scoring one run off one hit and one Tiger error.
Missouri three-hole hitter Allen came up with her second homer of the season in a one out, one on situation in the top of the sixth. Allen's blast went over the wall in left center sending junior first baseman Alli Kennewell (Eden Prairie, Minn.), who reached first earlier in the inning on a one out bunt, around the bases.
OU came within one run in the sixth after third baseman Traci Dickenson hit a three run homer, but Missouri was able to seal the victory scoring its final two runs in the seventh inning. The Sooner's made a final attempt at victory, scoring a single run in the bottom of the inning.
Bruck improved to 14-8 on the season after hurling all seven innings. Bruck tied her season high strikeout mark with seven on the day.
The last time Missouri won against a ranked opponent came at the start of the 2006 season when the Tigers took two of three games against No. 24 Georgia Tech.
Missouri will take on the Sooner's in game two of the Conference series tomorrow at Noon. Following the completion of the game, the Tiger's will travel to Las Vegas for a three-game series with UNLV beginning Monday, March 27at 7 p.m. (CST). Live stats for all three of Missouri's games against the Runnin' Rebels will be available on GameTracker.
