Feb. 20, 2000
The Missouri Tigers (6-4) beat Northern Iowa twice to win the Mizzou Round Robin. They won the first game 4-3 and the second 3-1. Offense and strong senior leadership saved the day when the Tigers were suffering defensively.
Missouri started off their first game of the day with their third game of the season against Northern Iowa. The Tigers did not play their best defensive game, as all the Panther runs came from Tiger errors, but their bats pulled them through.
Missouri started the scoring in the second inning. Senior third baseman Linda Swarts started the inning with a single to center field. Three batters later she scored on a sacrifice fly by junior pitcher Stephanie Falk.
The Tigers had a rough inning defensively in the fifth. The Panthers scored three unearned runs off three Tiger errors. Northern Iowa started the inning with a Melissa Navntoft single to left field. She advanced to second on a passed ball by Tiger catcher Mary McGrane. She advanced to third on a play at second and scored on an error by Swarts. Two batters later the Tigers attempt to make a play at third, but the runner was safe on an error by Tiger short stop, sophomore Lindsey Jacoby. The next batter reached and advanced to second on an error by Tiger first baseman Christy Skouby. Lindsay Wood and Kelli McCoy scored on the play. The Tiger defense had two more errors, one each in the sixth and seventh innings.
Senior pitcher Christy Caccavo came into the game for Falk after one batter in the top of the sixth. The Tigers tied the score in the bottom of the sixth. Swarts drilled a homer over the center field fence to score Skouby. Missouri only allowed one Panther runner on base in the seventh, then the Tiger offense took care of business and capitalized on a Northern Iowa error. Sara Vassmer reached on an error by first baseman Allison Taverner. Two batters later Erin Erickson drove a double to left center to score Vassmer and win the game.
The second game was just as suspenseful as the first, but it moved quicker as the sun was going down and the Tigers wanted to be sure of another win. It was not an easy win, however and darkness almost set in before someone scored.
Northern Iowa struck first in the fifth inning. After reaching first on a single, Jacque LaFleur scored on a Lindsay wood double to left center. The Tigers answered back in the bottom half of the inning. Senior catcher Amy Farmer began the inning with a long single to center field. Sophomore Sara McNeal then came in to pinch run for Farmer. McNeal advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by sophomore second baseman Lindsey Jacoby and to third on a Kristen Burke ground out. McNeal scored the tying run on and Stacy Gemeinhardt RBI single to center field.
The Tiger bats continued in the sixth inning. Swarts hit a double to center field that hit hard off the middle of the outfield wall with runners on second and third to score Sara Vassmer and Erin Erickson. The Tigers held the Panthers in the top of the seventh to win 3-1.
Missouri's record improved to 6-4. Next weekend they will travel to Fayetteville, Ark. to take on Arkansas, Virginia and Notre Dame in the Lady Back Invitational.