April 1, 2000
The story is all too familiar. A show down between pitchers, duking it out to see how many batters they can take down. This time when the dust settled Missouri came up short, something that they are not used to.
The Longhorns got the first hit in the game, but the Tigers scored the first run. In the bottom of the third inning, Lindsey Jacoby struck out, but reached first on a passed ball. Sara Vassmer followed with a hard single to the pitcher. Stacy Gemeinhardt scored Jacoby from second with a RBI single that found a hole in left center. The run put the Tigers up 1-0.
Texas answered in the top of the fourth. Keely Franks reached on an error by Tiger pitcher Stephanie Falk, but she was thrown out at second on a fielder's choice for the next batter, Jodi Reeves. Reeves stole second when the next batter struck out. Texas catcher Melissa Martin hit a two-run homer, just barely over the left field fence to give her team the 2-1 advantage.
That was the last run of the game. The Tigers were not able to get a hit in the last three innings. Texas loaded the bases in the top of the sixth, with only one out, but Falk pitched her way out of the inning like a pro, striking out one batter and throwing another out at first.
This is the second time in a row Texas has beat Missouri by a two-run homer. The last time the two teams met was last year in the Big 12 Tournament. The Longhorns won the game on a two-run homer by Nikki Cockrell in the bottom of the eighth inning.
Carmen Martinez got the win for the Longhorns. Her record moves to 5-8. She had six strikeouts, no walks and allowed two hits. Falk was credited with the loss for the Tigers. She struck out eight, walked three and allowed four hits. Neither of Texas' runs were earned. Falk's record moves to 11-10. Both pitchers pitched all seven innings.
The two teams will face off again tomorrow at 1 p.m. at University Field.