April 15, 2002
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Tigers Open Busy Week Against Kangaroos
The University of Missouri softball team begins a five-game-in-seven-day stretch on Tuesday when it travels to Adair Park in Independence, Mo., for a double header with the University of Missouri-Kansas City Kangaroos.
The Tigers are coming off one of their best efforts of the year, a 4-2 win over No. 4 Nebraska in Lincoln on Sunday. They bring a 24-28 record into Tuesday's contests while UMKC has been impressive slating a 23-19 mark and an 11-1 record in the Mid-Continent Conference.
Tiger Tid-Bits
The University of Missouri softball team went 1-3 last week dropping a pair of games to No. 9 Oklahoma on Wednesday and then splitting a weekend series with No. 4 Nebraska...the Tiger's win over Nebraska snapped a six game losing skid and a five-game Big 12 losing streak...despite losing the series opener to the Huskers, junior Ingrid Werner weighed in with an impressive effort going 8 2/3 innings scattering eight Husker hits and allowing only four runs...Mizzou got an equally impressive outing in Game 2 of the series from freshman Erin Kalka, who worked 5 2/3 innings of relief striking out eight and allowing no earned runs in the Tiger's 4-2 win NU...Junior Melanie Fisher and senior Erin Erickson also had big days for Mizzou as Fisher recorded a solo home run in the top of the first and Erickson hit her second job of the season, a two run blast in the fourth to give Mizzou a 4-1 lead.
A Look at UMKC
The Kangaroos enter Tuesday's action on a major hot streak having won 10 straight games and 12 of their last 14 contests. Sporting a 23-19 overall mark, UMKC is 11-1 in the Mid-Continent Conference.
Leading the Roo's offensive attack is Kristen Caldwell. She checks in batting .315 with 39 hits and 19 runs scored. For the most part, UMKC's offensive production is pretty balanced as five people have more than 30 hits and four have more than 12 RBI.
The workhorse of the Roo's pitching staff has been Lindsey Davis. She has worked 165 2/3 innings garnering a 1.73 ERA with 183 strikeouts and has worked 20 complete games.
Last Season Against the Kangaroos
May 1, 2001 in Independence, Mo. MU 4, UMKC 0 MU 6, UMKC 0
Who's En Fuego
* Senior Heather Allister has recorded a hit in five of the Tiger's last seven contests.
* Senior Erin Erickson has had a hit in three of the last four contests and an RBI in three of the last four.
* Junior Melanie Fisher has a hit in each of the last two contests.
* Kunkel has a two game hit streak going and has blasted a hit in 10 of the last 12 games.
* Sophomore Morgan LeCluyse also has a two game hit streak in tact and has had a hit in 10 of the last 11 contests.
* Junior Sara Vassmer has scored a hit in four of the last six contests.
A Black and Golden Opportunity Continues
The Tigers are currently in 9th place in the Big 12 with a 2-11 league mark after splitting last weekends series with Nebraska. However, the Tigers are only five games back in the loss column behind the fifth place team in the league, the No. 24 Texas A & M Aggies, whom the Tigers face in the final weekend of the season. Mizzou also has a weekend home series on April 20-21 with the Texas Tech Red Raiders, who are in 10th place in the conference and a road game with Kansas on Thursday, who the Tigers beat earlier this season in Columbia and who currently are in eighth place.
If Mizzou wants to make a run at improving its seed in the Big 12 Conference Tournament next month, now is definitely the time.
Spinning Your Favorite Records Every Season, Your Listening to the Missouri Softball Network
Several Tigers are making major moves in the Mizzou softball record books. Here is a breakdown of some of the movers and shakers.
Rachael McGinnis ranks... -10th on the single season RBI charts -would rank second on the Mizzou charts in single season slugging percentage if the season were to end today (.653) - 6th on the single season home run charts (6). -tied for 10th on the Mizzou career homerun charts (8). Ingrid Werner ranks... -9th on the career appearance chart (90). -10th on the career innings pitched (392). -8th on the career strike outs charts (210). Erin Erickson ranks... -6th on the career doubles charts (32) -5th on the career homerun charts (14) -5th on the career put outs charts (934) Mary McGrane ranks -8th on the career put outs charts (732) -1st on the career fielding percentage charts (.995)
Sounds Like a Hit
Sophomore Rachael McGinnis, who currently ranks sixth in single season home runs at MU with six, has slowed down some during the Big 12 portion of the Tigers season. Trying telling that to opposing Big 12 pitchers. She is second in the league in hitting (.401), and leads the league in hits (59), triples (5, tied with senior teammate Lindsey Jacoby) and total bases (94).
McGinnis has recorded two or more hits in 17 games this season and recorded a 13-game hit streak earlier in the year. If the season were to end today, McGinnis' .401 batting average would rank third on the MU single season charts.
Yard Work
The Tiger softball team broke a three-game homerless drought on Sunday with two bombs off the scoreboard in left field at the recently built Bowlin Stadium in Lincoln.
Junior Melanie Fisher was the first to break out with her second home run of the season in the top of the first inning giving Mizzou a 1-0 lead. Senior Erin Erickson would duplicate the feat in the top of the fourth inning with a shot to left which plated two Tiger runs. Mizzou has now hit 22 home runs as a team on the season, which ranks sixth in the Big 12..
Good Starts...Tough Endings The Tigers have jumped all over their opponents this season in the early innings of games. However, in mid and late innings of games, their offensive production has diminished immensely. Below is a inning by inning break down of the Tigers scoring so far in 2002.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Tigers 44 28 31 37 26 13 13 Opponents 26 19 14 33 32 36 3
Last Time Out...
Mizzou Shocks No. 4 Nebraska
Tigers split weekend series with Huskers.
Lincoln, Neb.- The University of Missouri softball team registered one of its best efforts of the season on Sunday taking a 4-2 win over No. 4 Nebraska. Senior Erin Erickson and junior Melanie Fisher each blasted their second home runs of the season accounting for three of the Tiger's four runs. Mizzou also received an excellent pitching performance from freshman Erin Kalka, who worked 5 2/3 innings of relief striking out eight to pick up her 11th win of the season.
Mizzou would begin the game with a bang as Fisher slammed a solo home run deep to left field off of the scoreboard staking Mizzou to a 1-0 lead. The Tigers would strike again on a double by senior Mary McGrane that scored Erickson from second to give Mizzou a 2-0 lead
After registering a quality 9.0-inning effort yesterday, junior Ingrid Werner would take the hill for the Tigers once again on Sunday. After retiring the Huskers in order in the first, Werner gave up a leadoff walk, a single and then hit Lisa Wangler to load the bases. Werner then walked Cindy Roethemeyer to score the Huskers first run. Kalka would then enter the game and get NU's Anne Steffan to hit a ground ball to third base and sophomore Rachael McGinnis threw home to record the second out of the inning, but the bases were still loaded. Kalka would step up in a big way against the Huskers leading hitter, Kim Ogee, striking her out to end the threat with the Tigers still in the lead, 2-1.
The Tiger offense would once again strike in the fourth inning. McGinnis opened the inning with a walk. After freshman Heather Kunkel flied out to center field, Erickson stepped to the plate and slammed another scoreboard shot to left field giving Mizzou a 4-1 lead heading into the bottom of the fourth inning. Kalka would hold the Husker's offense at bay for the next two innings. In the bottom of the sixth, she would give up a leadoff single to right field. After recording the first out of the inning on the next play, Peaches James would double to center field driving in pinch-runner Briana Bates. Kalka would get the next batter to ground out back to her and then strike out Lisa Wangler to end the Nebraska threat with the Tigers still leading, 4-2.
Kalka would dominate the Huskers in the seventh striking out two of the final three batters and getting Ogee to ground out to Lindsey Jacoby to end the game. The Tiger offense was balanced once again with six Tiger recording hits in the game. The win was the Tigers fourth win over a ranked team of 2002 and their second over a Top 10 squad.