Missouri
Pacific
Tiger Softball Team Takes 9-8 Win over Pacific
2/17/2007 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Feb. 17, 2007
Palo Alto, Calif. - The Missouri softball team improved to 6-5 on the season after taking back-to-back wins at the Stanford Invitational in Palo Alto, Calif. Earning a 9-8 victory over the Tigers of Pacific, Missouri is now 2-2 in the tournament. Earlier in the day, Missouri notched an 8-2 victory over Santa Clara.
Sophomore Megan Dennis (Liberty, Mo.) collected her second win of the season (2-1) after throwing four innings of work and holding Pacific to only two runs on six hits. Dennis entered in the fourth with Missouri down 6-4 and forced a pop up to end the two hour and 26 minute game.
Playing small ball and taking advantage of Missouri miscues, the Pacific Tigers held an early 2-0 lead after scoring both runs in the bottom of the first inning. No strangers to being down, Missouri was quick to rebound, scoring two runs on one hit in the top of the second. Pacific pitcher Briana Santos walked three Tigers loading the bases for leadoff batter Leanne Bowers (Arnold,Mo.). Singling to right field on the 3-2 count, Bowers' knock allowed pinch runner Michaele Vock (Morrison, Ill.) and junior shortstop Alli Kennewell (Eden Prairie, Minn.) to bring the Tigers even with Pacific.
Adding an additional two runs in the top of the third, senior catcher Kathy Masterson (St. Louis, Mo.) flew out to right field for the first out of the inning. Reaching base on balls and stealing her fifth bag of the season, sophomore second baseman Andee Allen (Barnhart, Mo.) represented Missouri's go-ahead run on second. Redshirt junior Micaela Minner took first on a catcher's interference call and stole second providing junior Amanda Renth (Mascoutah, Ill.) the honors of sending Allen home from third on a sacrifice fly to right field. Starting pitcher Jen Bruck (St. Peters, Mo.) singled down the left field line to drive in Minner for the fourth run of the game.
Pacific regained its lead in the bottom of the third, answering with four runs on six hits. Not to be outdone, Missouri charged back in the fifth scoring two runs, with three insurances runs added in the third. Pacific made an attempt to rally in the seventh, scoring one run on shortstop Lizzie Hagen's one out single up the middle that sent leadoff batter Gina Carbanatto home from second.
Masterson, making her 10th start of the season, crushed her third triple of the campaign in the sixth inning. With two outs on the board, Masterson launched the ball to right field driving in pinch runner Julie Silver (Chesterfield, Mo.) from third. Masterson is now two triples away from etching her name into the Missouri career triples record book (10).
Up next, Missouri will take on 12th-ranked Stanford for the secomd time of the tournament. The game will begin at 2 p.m. (CT).
