Feb. 14, 2003
MU vs. Penn State Box Score
MU vs. Kentucky Box Score
STANFORD, Calif.-- - The University of Missouri softball team took one of two on Friday in the first day of the Stanford Invitational. Mizzou defeated Penn State 3-1 in the tournament opener, before falling to Kentucky 5-4 in eight innings.
Against Penn State, the Tigers scored one run in the first inning after the Nittany Lions made two errors. Later, with two outs in sixth inning, Heather Kunkel reached on a fielder's choice and Rachael McGinnis singled. Morgan LeCluyse then connected for a triple, scoring both Kunkel and McGinnis. Penn State scored its only run in the top of the seventh inning, but MU was able to stage off any late rally.
Erin Kalka recorded her third win of the season pitching a complete game five hitter. She struck out eight batters, while walking one and giving up only the one earned run.
Mizzou struggled offensively, as it did not record its first hit until the sixth inning. The Tigers finished with just three hits against PSU.
The second game of the day started out rough for MU with Kentucky scoring three runs in the bottom of the first inning. After that, Samantha Fleeman settled down and at one time retired 12 straight Wildcat batters. Missouri cut into the lead by scoring two runs in the fifth inning. The Tigers then tied the game in the seventh with the help of a Kentucky error to send the game into extra innings.
In the top of the eighth, Kunkel, who had been placed on second according to tiebreaker rules, scored after a McGinnis single and another error by the Wildcats. However, in the bottom of the eighth, UK's Megan Brooks scored on a single by Nikki Jones to tie the game. Jones then scored the winning run on a base hit by Lyndsey Angus.
The loss was the first of the season for Fleeman. She struck out five and did not walk a batter. She has only given up one walk in her three starts this season.
Sara Vassmer was 3-for-4 against Kentucky with one RBI. Daisy Mettlach added to her team lead in steals by swiping three more bases in the two games on Friday to give her nine on the year.
Mizzou is 5-2 on the season and is now 1-1 in extra inning games. The Tigers will be back in action on Saturday at 1:15 p.m. (3:15 p.m. CST) to face Stanford.