University of Missouri
UNLV
Tigers Split Doubleheader with UNLV
3/27/2006 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 27, 2006
Las Vegas - After winning game one against UNLV (13-22), 6-4, the Missouri softball team (18-12) dropped game two, 9-6, at the Jim Rogers Field in Las Vegas. Redshirt sophomore Micaela Minner crushed her eighth home run of the season and second of the day in the third inning of game two.
Scoreless through one-and-a-half innings, UNLV jumped to a 2-0 lead after leftfielder Bri Bernardi hit a two-run home run out of the park. Missouri freshman Megan Dennis (Liberty, Mo.) forced back-to-back groundouts to get out of the inning without further damage.
Senior outfielder Janessa Roening (Port Angeles, Wash.) helped pull the Tigers even with a ground rule double to right field. 2-for-3 at the plate in game two, Roening drove in second baseman Amy Henke (Florissant, Mo.) and outfielder Leanne Bowers (Arnold, Mo.) with her knock. Earlier in the inning with two outs on the board, Henke laid down a bunt to reach first and Bowers hit a hard single to short to take two bases and send Henke to third.
UNLV regained the lead in the bottom of the third, scoring three runs on four hits and one Tiger error. Listed in the starting lineup as the designated player, junior Kathy Masterson (St. Louis, Mo.) relieved Dennis in the circle after two and one-third innings work. Today's game marked Masterson's sixth appearance in the circle. After giving up three runs, senior Joanne Loethen (St. Thomas, Mo.) made her first appearance of the season at pitcher in the fourth inning. The Tigers fell to 9-2 after giving up four runs in the bottom of the fourth.
Minner's third inning, three-run home run over the fence in centerfield helped bring the Tigers within four runs of the Rebels. The 25th crush of her two year campaign with the Tigers, Minner now stands alone at second in the Missouri career home run record book and is one away from tying current record holder Mary Babb.
Dennis reentered the game in the fifth for Missouri and closed out the remainder of the game.
Leading off in the seventh, Henke singled down the left field line, later stealing second and scoring Missouri's final run of the game on Roening's double to deep left field.
First pitch of the third and final game against UNLV is slated for 7 p.m. (CST) Tuesday evening.
