University of Missouri
FresnoState
Fresno State Defeats Mizzou Softball, 3-1
2/25/2001 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Feb. 25, 2001
COLUMBUS, Ga.- The University of Missouri softball team fared no better on the third day of the Leadoff Classic Tournament than they did the previous two days.
After losing the first bracket game Saturday night against DePaul, the Tigers faced Fresno State on Sunday in the first round of consolation play. The Bulldogs, who defeated Missouri 2-0 on Friday night in pool play, knocked off the Tigers again on Sunday, this time by a score of 3-1.
The only Tiger run came in the first inning when junior ERIN ERICKSON singled to drive in leadoff hitter SARA VASSMER from third base. Mizzou then stalled offensively, and in the fifth inning, the Tigers recorded three costly errors that led to all three Fresno State runs. Senior pitcher STEPHANIE FAULK allowed six hits and one walk in seven innings of work.
"This was a very tough tournament competitively," said Head Coach JAY MILLER. "We had four losses, but they were all to Top 10 teams. I thought we played pretty well defensively, but we need to get on track at the plate. In order to put runs on the board, we need to hit the ball and move runner in scoring position, and we didn't accomplish that this weekend."
Miller sees such a tough schedule not as a hindrance, but rather as an opportunity for the team to improve.
"I think these tough tournament allow us compete against some of the best in the nation, and I hope that prepares us to do better down the road," said Miller. "That's the whole reason for setting such a schedule."
The Tigers won their first game of the weekend over Georgia, 3-1. They then suffered four straight, first to Fresno State, 2-0, then to Michigan 1-0, DePaul 6-0 and again to Fresno State 3-1.
Missouri travels to St. George, Utah next weekend to compete in the Red Desert Classic, where they will face Southern Utah on Friday at 12 p.m. and the University of Utah at 2 p.m. Other opponents in the tournament include nationally-ranked Washington and Stanford as well as UC-Santa Barbara.
