University of Missouri
Baylor
No. 24 Baylor Tops Mizzou, 4-1
4/7/2002 12:00:00 AM | Softball
April 7, 2002
Columbia, Mo.-The University of Missouri softball team dropped the second and final game of its series with the Baylor Lady Bears on Sunday, 4-1. Mizzou falls to 23-25 overall and 1-8 in the Big 12 Conference while the Lady Bears move to 40-11 and 7-3 in the conference. The Tigers have now lost two of their last three and have dropped three straight series against Big 12 competition. Head coach Jay Miller said that the Tigers continue to struggle with the basic plays it takes to win.
"We are right in games and we're competing at a reasonably high level," Miller said. "We need to start to make our own breaks though and really focus on making the basic plays it takes to win a ball game."
Baylor would jump out to an early lead scoring a run in the top of the second off of starter Ingrid Werner (8-9) on a single by Kourtny Westerfeld that drove in Danelle Arnold. Werner would end up lasting 3.0 complete innings giving up only three hits and one run before being replaced by freshman Erin Kalka in the top of the fourth.
Kalka, who pitched the entire game on Saturday night against Baylor, did not have her best stuff though giving up three earned runs and five hits in 1.0 inning of work. After giving up leadoff home run in the fifth inning to Kristen Lancaster, freshman Veronica Flournoy would replace Kalka. Flournoy was excellent going 3.0 innings scattering three hits while giving no runs.
The Tiger's offense had been rendered mute by Baylor starter Joni Miller through the first four innings as she held the Tigers to no runs and only two hits. However, in the bottom of the fifth, Morgan LeCluyse would crush a home run off the scoreboard in left field and Rachael McGinnis singled to right field prompting Baylor to bring in Katie Decker to pitch. Decker would retire the Tigers in order in the remainder of the sixth, but not before Mizzou would pull within three at 4-1 on the LeCluyse yard job.
Flournoy would retire the Lady Bears in order in the top of the seventh and the Tigers were down to their final at bat. For the second game in as many days, the Tigers made a major run to get back in the game in the seventh. Junior pinch hitter Kristen Burke would single to center to begin the Tiger rally with one out. Senior Heather Allister would then reach on a fielder's choice but Burke would record the second out, short stop to second base. Sophomore Daisy Mettlach would then pinch-hit for junior Sara Vassmer and the move would pay dividends for the Tigers as Mettlach singled to left field bringing the tying run to the plate in the person of LeCluyse. Decker had LeCluyse's number t his time though as Morgan would go down swinging as Decker earned her second save of the season.
The road does not get any easier this week for the Tigers as they welcome No. 9 Oklahoma to University Field for a double header on Wednesday before traveling to Lincoln, Neb., on Saturday and Sunday to take on the No. 4 Nebraska Cornhuskers. For more information on Tiger softball, log on to www.mutigers.com
