Missouri
#13 Stanford
Missouri Softball Team Falters in Championship Game
2/18/2007 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Feb. 18, 2007
Palo Alto, Calif. - The Missouri softball team (6-6) battled its way into the championship game of the Stanford Invitational after taking back-to-back wins over Santa Clara and Pacific on Saturday, but suffered a 4-1 loss in the Sunday afternoon title game against 12th-ranked Stanford.
Freshman Jana Hainey (Raymore, Mo.) fell to 1-4 on the season after allowing four runs on four hits in 5.1 innings from the circle. Sophomore Megan Dennis (Liberty, Mo.) provided relief facing the final three Cardinal batters of the game.
The Tigers held a 1-0 lead through the fourth inning, allowing Stanford to tie the game in the bottom of the fifth. Missouri's freshman Julie Silver (Chesterfield, Mo.) was the first Tiger to reach base in the second inning, doing so on a two out single to third. Senior Leanne Bowers (Arnold, Mo.) drove Silver in with her double to right center. Missouri collected four hits on the day, the remaining two coming in the fifth inning by senior Kathy Masterson (St. Louis, Mo.) and junior Amanda Renth (Mascoutah, Ill.). The Tigers left five players in scoring position in today's game.
Stanford pulled ahead in the bottom of the sixth, scoring three runs on five hits.
"Despite the outcome, the team played really well," Head Coach Ehren Earleywine said. "There were a lot of positives in the game and the team made some good improvements over the course of the tournament. As a coach it was very encouraging to see."
Missouri will play St. Louis in a doubleheader Wednesday. The location and time of the game will be determined Tuesday based on weather and field conditions.
