February 20, 1999
Missouri Tiger Softball open play in the Mizzou Round Robin today. Teams participating in the tournament include the Tigers, St. Louis University Billikins, UMKC Kangaroos, and the Panthers of Northern Iowa. Play was driven indoors into the Dan Devine Pavillion by inclement weather.
In the first game of the day the Billikins dropped a 1-9 loss to the Panthers. The Kangaroos took the second game 14-4 over the Billikins. In the third game of the day the Missouri Tigers took on the Kangaroos. MU jumped into the lead in the first inning when senior Kim Slover (St. Charles, Mo.) singled to drive in juniors Stacy Gemeinhardt (Belton, Mo.) and Wendy Harrison (Yorba Linda, Calif.). In the second inning Gemeinhardt made the game winning hit to drive home freshman Lindsey Jacoby (Huntsville, Mo.) and sophomore Shawna Robinson (Atascadero, Calif.) to make the score 4-0. Freshman Erin Erickson (Perry, Kan.) drove in freshman Sara McNeal (Manchester, Mo.) on a double and was driven in by senior Ashley Woodall's double. The score was now 6-0. In the top of the fourth freshman Becky Berger reached on an error by the short stop. Junior Jennifer Heavener and Cari Cairns scored on the throw to make the game 6-2. In the bottom of the fourth Wendy Harrison brought home short stop Shawna Robinson. Karen Williams (Gaylord, Mich.) doubled to left and advanced to third on the throw and drove in Ashley Woodall and Linda Swarts. Shawna Robinson doubled to bring home Williams to end the game with a 10-2 score in favor of the Tigers. Junior transfer Christy Caccavo held the Kangaroos to three hits and committed no errors in just her second start of the season. Sophomore Jana U'Ren came in at the top of the fifth to hold the Kangaroos hitless in the last inning of play.
Four Tigers, Stacy Gemeinhardt, Linda Swarts, Ashley Woodall and Shawna Robinson successfully stole a base each. The Tigers had a season high 4 doubles from Erin Erickson, Ashley Woodall, Karen Williams and Shawna Robinson. In the final game of the day, Missouri faced Northern Iowa. Missouri took a 1-0 lead in the second on a single by shortstop Robinson that brought in pinch runner McNeal. In the third, second baseman Jamie Lowry's (Wright City, Mo.) sacrifice fly drove home Harrison for Missouri's second run. That was all Stephanie Falk (4-0; Beaverton, Ore.) would need. While striking out six, Falk faced only one threat from the Panthers. In the fourth she loaded the bases with only one out but first baseman Slover robbed Beth Scheetz of extra bases turning a sure double into a double play. Christy Skouby (Marshall, Mo.) then sealed the victory with a two-run homer in the fifth, her second of the season, giving the Tigers a 4-0 advantage over the Panthers. Harrison singled in the top of the seventh, stole two bases and came in for her third run of the game on Slover's triple. Skouby's third RBI of the game drove home Williams to bring the final score to 6-0. Falk's shutout was her third of the season after two at the Metrodome Classic last week.
Post Game Quotes:
Head Coach Jay Miller
(On his team's offense) "I think we swung the bats well. Overall I am pleased with the performance. The top of the line up slapped well and got on base. The middle of the line up drove runs home. We did what we had to do."
(On the Tiger defense) "We made big defensive plays today. Wendy [Harrison] did a great job in left today. She made several key catches for us in the last game. Kim [Slover] made some great infield plays. Defensively we look good out there."
Christy Caccavo (P)
(On her pitching in the first game) "I feel pretty good about my pitching. There is always room for improvement in anything. My goal is to make it through an entire game. Right now I am taking it slow, easing back into pitching. "
(On the defense behind her) "I have a great defense behind me. I am real confident in their gloves. They are also great offensively. I see some real improvement in the team's hitting today."
Christy Skouby (RF)
(Strength of team play tonight against UMKC and UNI)"I think we played great today. We had a rough weekend hitting the ball last week (at the Metrodome Classic) but I think that the team is starting to come around."
(Homerun in top of the fifth doubling a 2-0 lead after Falk pitches out of a bases loaded jam the inning before.)"It was definitely a big homerun for us but I don't try to hit homeruns. I focus on base hits. I go to the plate expecting to hit line drives not homeruns. This one definetely us regain our momentum."
(7th Inning tumble with UNI 3rd baseman Lindsey Wood)"Well, it wasn't really anything serious. I just took a glove to the head (from Wood) as I was sliding into third base. I was just a little shook up but it wasn't serious."
Stephanie Falk (P)
(On Missouri's play)"It was really good to see us hitting the bats; we swung really well. We had solid defense, a lot of great plays that got us out of a lot of innings and situations."
(On her shut out performance against Northern Iowa) "To be honest, I don't think I pitched very well. I am very fortunate to have the defense behind me."