March 21, 1999
COLUMBIA, Mo.- The Missouri Tigers (21-10-0) were recognized as champions in the 13th annual Missouri Invitational, finishing 6-0 for the weekend. Today they defeated Northwestern State (17-13) 1-0 and Western Michigan (3-8) 3-1. Missouri had an incredible day defensively, only allowing one run on 11 hits.
The Tigers opened up the first inning against the Demons with just one hit, coming from Linda Swarts. The offense would not get another hit until the fifth inning when Jamie Lowry hit a single to center and advanced Karen Williams to second. That play would have no effect on the remainder of the inning as the Tigers could not reach home plate.
By the end of seven innings, neither team had scored, so the game was put into extra innings. Due to the international tie-breaker rule, Williams was placed on second as Lowry was up to bat. Lowry hit a sacrifice fly to right field, allowing Williams to score. That run gave the Tigers their only run of the game. Defensively, in that same inning, Missouri allowed two hits. Neither batter was able to score, giving Missouri their fifth win of the invitational.
Missouri opened up the second game against Western Michigan reaching first base on two Broncos' errors. Stacy Gemeinhardt was the lead off batter, but lined out to the short stop. Batting second, Williams reached on an error by the first baseman, Melissa Martens. Up next was Lowry who also reached on an error, this time by short stop Jodi White, and advanced Williams to second. After a pop fly by Swarts, Kim Slover walked and loaded the bases. The Tigers could not commit, however. An out by Mary McGrane stranded all three runners on base.
By the second inning, the Tiger offense had gained more confidence in their hitting. Both Wendy Harrison and Gemeinhardt hit triples, one to left and the other to left center. Gemeinhardt's triple turned into a RBI as she hit in Harrison, putting Missouri up 1-0.
Western Michigan would answer that run with a run of their own in the third. Jodi White singled to center, advanced to second on the throw and hit in Melissa Martens to tie the score.
The Tigers' Harrison would score again in the fourth inning off of a single by Gemeinhardt. She finished the day with two runs off three hits. The only other scoring inning for Missouri was in the sixth. Christy Skouby crossed the plate off of a single by Erin Erickson to left field. Missouri finished the inning with one run off of four hits, but left three on base.