April 2, 2002
Columbia, Mo.-The University of Missouri softball team split a doubleheader with the Saint Louis softball squad in St. Louis on Tuesday night. The Billikens would take game one of the day, 5-4 and the Tigers would take the nightcap, 5-2 in front of 178 fans at the Billikens Sports Ctr. The Tigers are now 21-23 overall and 1-6 in the Big 12.
SLU's win over the Tigers in Game 1 of the double header was its first against Mizzou since 1993 and only the second win it had recorded in 49 contests. The Billikens scored four runs in the first, using two infield singles and two Tiger errors to take a lead. MU starter Ingrid Werner would not make it out of the second after giving up another run and would yield to freshman Erin Kalka after 1 2/3 innings of work with the Tigers trailing 5-0. Mizzou would go on to score their first run of the game in the top of the third when junior Sara Vassmer stole second base on a errant throw by the catcher to second base which would allow pinch runner Ashley Hays to score to pull the Tigers to within four at 5-1.
After allowing the first batter she faced in the top of the second to reach via a walk, Kalka was masterful in the relief role once again working 4.1 innings giving up no hits while striking out 10 and retiring the final 13 batters she faced. Trailing 5-1 heading into the top of the final inning, freshman Heather Kunkel would open the 7th with a single to the shortstop. SLU's Heather Hubert would retire the next two Tiger batters before pinch hitter Kristen Burke would come to the plate and drive in Kunkle from third with a single to right. Burke would then score on pinch hitter Daisy Mettlach's first triple of the season to cut the Billiken lead to 5-3. Sophomore Morgan LeCluyse would then single to right driving in Mettlach to move the Tigers to within one at 5-4. However, Hubert would get senior Erin Erickson to ground out to the first baseman to record the third out and the win for SLU.
In Game 2, the Billikens would out-hit the Tigers, 9-5. However two of the Tigers five hits were homeruns, which accounted for three of the Missouri's runs. Mizzou would jump out to an early lead in the first as junior Melanie Fisher did some yard work for the first time this season hitting a home run to deep left field that scored Rachael McGinnis, who had reached earlier in the inning on a walk. Freshman Veronica Flournoy applied the "bend-but-don't-break" philosophy to her outing working 5 1/3 giving up seven hits and two earned runs while striking out two before yielding to Kalka, who again entered the game in relief. The Tigers would provide another run in the fifth on a solo home run by Mettlach, her third of the season, and two more tallies in the sixth on a Fisher sacrifice fly and an RBI single by Kunkel that scored McGinnis who had pounded out her seventh double of the season earlier in the inning. Although she gave up two hits in 1 2/3 innings of work, Kalka held the Billiken comeback effort in check recording he fourth save of the season in the Tigers 5-2 win.
Mizzou now welcomes another in-state rival to University Field on Wednesday for a doubleheader. Southeast Missouri State (5-14, 2-3 in the Ohio Valley) will come calling with first pitch set for 4 pm.