May 21, 1999
LOS ANGELES - Alabama (39-26) stranded four runners in scoring position while Missouri (39-20) rode the strong pitching of Stephanie Falk (25-12) to a 1-0 victory in the loser's bracket of the 1999 NCAA Regionals in Los Angeles Friday morning.
In all, Alabama stranded five runners in scoring position, including one at second with two outs in the sixth, as the Crimson Tide could never come through with the timely hits beforesuccumbing to Missouri with three-straight outs in the final inning. The Tigers never got a hit out of the Tide infield, but scraped together a run in the fourth frame to escape with the 1-0 victory - Alabama's 12th one-run loss of the season.
"You can expect the win when the other team doesn't get the ball out of the infield," said Alabama head coach Pat Murphy. "But, in regionals, anything can happen. Usually, the team that gets the big hit wins the game. We had runners at second and third with one out in the fourth. That was probably our chance, but we didn't do it. That's been the thorn in our side all year long not to get a hit with runners in scoring position."
After Alabama starter Shelley Laird (21-9) retired the first three Tigers in order, Carrie Moreman's two-out double gave Alabama an early chance to take the lead. However, Falk ended the threat with the next at bat, setting up Kristi Frenier with a 2-2 count before freezing the third baseman with a changeup down the middle.
After getting the first batter of the inning to ground out, Laird had her perfect game spoiled in the fourth with the next at bat when Wendy Harrison put down a bunt single to give Mizzou its first baserunner. After a stolen base and a wild pitch by Laird put Harrison at the hot corner, Kim Slover laid down a perfect suicide squeeze to give the Tigers the 1-0 lead.
"All I heard was 'Home, home, home!'" Laird said. "I should have probably have gone to first but, luckily, the runner getting to second didn't hurt us."
After Alabama failed to score in the bottom half of the inning, Laird held Mizzou at bay for the next two innings before Alabama got another scoring chance in the sixth. Kelley Askew drew a walk to leadoff the frame and, after another strikeout by Falk, was advanced to second on a groundout by Ginger Jones. But, with the first pitch in the next at bat, Christy Kyle grounded out to second base to end the scoring threat.
"It's great to be here but I wanted to come out with the win," Laird said. "We shouldn't go home like we were just happy to be here. I didn't want to say those words at all."