May 1, 2004
Columbia, Mo. - The Missouri softball team suffered its first loss of the season at home on University Field to Texas Tech, 1-0. Giving up a triple in the seventh inning of action, Red Raider Kelly Rhyne crossed the plate to help Texas Tech to a 22-34 overall record (2-15 in the Big 12 Conference). The Tigers drop to 23-23 on the season and 10-4 in the League.
Scoreless through six and-a-half innings of action, Texas Tech first baseman Andra Joachims hit her first triple of the season with one out on the board and a 2-2 count. The long ball to left field brought in junior leftfielder Kelly Rhyne for the Red Raiders, who started the top of the seventh with a single to centerfield and advanced to second on a sac bunt by third baseman Natalie Kula. "We didn't take a good approach today," head coach Ty Singleton said. "At this point in the season to be tentative and anxious is disappointing. The team should have been ready go and I don't think the rain delay had much to do with the approach we took today." Junior pitcher Erin Kalka added nine strikeouts to her season total. Now at 249, Kalka moved to fourth on the Missouri season strikeout chart, passing both number five Teresa Wilson (241, 1983) and number four Karen Snelgrove (242, 1991). Kalka's ERA stands at 1.86 on the season and 1.23 in Big 12 action. Sophomore Samantha Fleeman was the only Tiger to carry on her hitting streak. Now at three hits on three games, Fleeman knocked a single to left field and stole second base early in the third inning. Entering today's game, Missouri was on an 11-game home field winning streak, dating back to the April 27, 2-0 shutout over Nebraska. The loss at University Field was the first for the Tigers this season and drops their record to 10-1. The Tigers and Red Raiders will finish out their two-game series tomorrow at noon at University Field.