April 4, 2004
Columbia, Mo. - In their eighth shutout of the season, the Missouri softball team took its second win in two days over Big 12 competitor Oklahoma State with a 5-0 victory at University Field on Sunday. Now 17-19 on the season, the Tigers are 4-0 in the conference and stand tied for first in Big 12 play with No. 21 Nebraska. The Tigers opened the Conference at 4-0 for the first time since the inception of the league in 1996.
Taking first base after being hit by a toss off of right-handed OSU pitcher Randi Cook, Missouri freshman Leanne Bowers managed to steal second in the Tigers' first inning of action. With a single by sophomore Joanne Loethen, Bowers took third base, only to advance home when junior Heather Kunkel hit her first single of the two-game series. In her next at-bat, Kunkel would prove even more successful, driving a double to left field and allowing Bowers to once again touch home. The double was Kunkel's eighth of the season, and ties her with fellow teammate Morgan LeCluyse for most doubles on the season.
With second inning runs by sophomore Kendra Power, junior Ashley Hays and Bowers, the Tigers entered the third inning with a 4-0 lead only to face a pitching change by Oklahoma State. As sophomore Kristen Neil made her way to the mound, freshman catcher Kathy Masterson took her place in the box. Hit by the pitch, Masterson took first and was followed by freshman Sarah Stringer who advanced on a fielder's choice that managed to pick off Masterson at second. In her second successful steal of the season, Stringer slid into second base only to get up and run home off of two throwing errors by OSU.
Right-handed pitcher Erin Kalka returned to the mound for Missouri. She recorded 20 innings of work in the two-days, and continued her strikeout streak, adding 10 through today's game bringing her to a series total to 35 strikeouts. On the season, Kalka has 192 strikeouts, only 10 shy from her 2003 total of 202 that put her ninth on the Missouri Season-Strikeout chart. Kalka is 13-11 on the season and boasts a 1.91 ERA.
"All 17 members of the team have helped us to get to where we are today," head coach Ty Singleton said. "We played an extremely tough preseason. The theory was that we needed to see the best to overcome the best and one day be the best. All of those games have helped us to get stronger, and I think it's really starting to show in our plays."
The two losses put Oklahoma State at 20-20 on the season and 0-4 in the Big 12 Conference. The Tigers will host Big 12 competitor Kansas in a Border War game Wednesday, April 7, at 6 p.m. at University Field.