University of Missouri
Evansville
Tiger Softball Sweeps Double Header from Purple Aces
3/14/2002 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 14, 2002
Evansville, Ind.- The University of Missouri softball team ran its win streak to three on Thursday sweeping a double-header from the Evansville Purple Aces. The Tigers took game one 3-1 and dominated game two 8-0 at the newly opened home of U of E softball, Cooper Stadium. Head coach Jay Miller said the Tigers have played their best softball of the season over the past three games.
"We have definitely made some progress in the past three games and are hopefully starting hit our stride," Miller said. "We need to continue to improve and focus on each game."
The Tigers got on the board early against UE taking a 1-0 lead in the first. The Purple Aces would bounce back, however, when junior Nicole Chatman hit the first home run recorded at Cooper Stadium to tie the game at 1-1 in the third inning. After three more UE hits which loaded the bases, freshman Erin Kalka would enter in relief of starter Veronica Flournoy. Kalka would retire the Aces in order and end the inning with the score still tied at one. Kalka would allow only one hits in 5.0 innings of relief striking out four while earning the win.
Mizzou would score their second run on a single by senior Mary McGrane that plated sophomore Rachael McGinnis in the top of the sixth. Senior Erin Erickson would drive in freshman Heather Kunkel, who broke a three-game hitless streak against UE, for the insurance run in the top of the 7th to take a 3-1 lead and eventual win.
Mizzou would score two runs a piece in the first, third, fourth and sixth inning to take game two, 8-0 in six innings. Three Tigers did some yard work on the day. Erickson and McGinnis showed why they are the third and fourth batters in the Tiger line up hitting back-to-back home runs in the top of the third inning to give Mizzou a 4-0 lead. After being robbed of a homerun in the first game of the day on a deep shot to left field that was called a foul ball, sophomore Morgan LeCluyse christened the scoreboard with a two run shot off the board to give Mizzou an 8-0 lead in the top of the sixth. Several Tigers had solid offensive games with five recording two or more hits. Junior Ingrid Werner improved her record to 6-5 on the year scattering four Evansville hits while striking out two in the complete-game win.
McGinnis, who was named the Big 12 softball player of the week for the week of Feb. 24-Mar. 5, continues to be amazing at the plate for the Tigers. She went 6-for-7 with five RBI's while also plating two runs. She is currently sporting an amazing .512 batting average and jumped on the MU single season home run record books on Thursday with her fifth home run of the season. The five home runs ties McGinnis for eighth on the list with at least 34 games left to play.
Mizzou is now 12-16 overall and begins play in the Missouri Invitational on Friday at 4 pm at University Field. For ticket information on Mizzou Softball, log on to www.mutigers.com or call 1-800-CAT PAWS or 884-PAWS in Columbia.
