University of Missouri
Oklahoma
Tiger Softball Team Sweeps No. 15 Oklahoma on Road
3/26/2006 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 26, 2006
Box Score
Norman, Okla. - Battling 33 mph wind gusts, Missouri (17-11, 2-0) completed a sweep of No. 15 Oklahoma (23-10-1, 0-2) with a 9-6 victory on Sunday, while tallying a season-high 15 hits on the day. The last time Missouri swept a Big 12 opponent in the league opening series came in 2004 when the Tigers held off Texas 3-0 and 6-2 and the last time Missouri notched 15 hits in a game came against Louisiana Tech March 20, 2005, in a 6-0 victory.
Designated player Amanda Renth (Mascoutah, Ill.) had a big day at the plate going 2-for-4 while hitting her third career grand slam and second against a Big 12 opponent (Oklahoma State, 5/12/05). The blast was Renth's third of the season and ninth of her career.
For the second straight day, Missouri jumped to an early lead over the Sooners. The Tigers scored three runs off five hits in the top of the first, notching four of their five hits with two outs on the board. Leadoff hitter junior Leanne Bowers (Arnold, Mo.) opened with a full count single up the middle to reach first. Back-to-back outs brought cleanup hitter redshirt sophomore Micaela Minner (Sanger, Texas) to the plate and the outfielder singled down the left field line advancing Bowers to second. Next up for Missouri, Renth doubled to left center sending Minner and Bowers home. Junior catcher Kathy Masterson (St. Louis, Mo.) singled to centerfield advancing to second on throw while Renth took third. Junior third baseman Amanda Jo White (Tallmadge, Ohio) tallied Missouri's fifth hit of the inning, an RBI single to second base.
Oklahoma came up with two runs in the bottom of the inning to close in on Missouri, but Renth's second inning heroics helped the Tigers gain a five run advantage. With the bases loaded Renth sent the ball over the wall in centerfield increasing Missouri's lead to 7-2.
The Tigers added two runs in the top of the sixth when three-hole hitter and starting pitcher Jen Bruck (St. Peters, Mo.) ripped a two run homer over the wall in right center. After Bruck overran base runner Janessa Roening (Port Angeles, Wash.) between first and second base, Bruck was declared out, the home run was scored as a single and Bruck was forced to return to the dugout.
Bruck (15-8) hurled 102 pitches four and two-thirds inning against the Sooners. Freshman Megan Dennis (Liberty, Mo.) also entered in today's game, twirling two and one-third inning.
Missouri led off four of the seven innings with hits. The last time Missouri swept OU in a series, either home or away, was in 1993.
The Tigers will travel to Las Vegas for a three-game series against the UNLV Runnin' Rebels beginning Monday, March 27, at 7 p.m. (CST). Missouri and UNLV will play two games on Monday and one on Tuesday. Live stats for all three games will be available on Gametracker at mutigers.com.
