May 14, 2004
Oklahoma City, Okla. - Heading into extra innings, the Missouri softball team shutout No. 2 seeded Texas A&M, 1-0 to advance to the semifinals of the Big 12 Softball Conference Championships Saturday, May 15, at 10 a.m., in ASA Hall of Fame Stadium. Improving to 28-23 (14-4 in the league, 2-0 in the tournament), the Aggies drop to 32-19 overall. The win is Missouri's second shutout of the tournament and 15th of the season.
Scoreless through seven innings, Big 12 Texas A&M Pitcher-of-the-Year Jessica Kapchinski walked MU first baseman Samantha Fleeman for the second time of the game, bringing in junior Ashley Hays to pinch run with one out. Already having scored yesterday's game-winning run over Oklahoma State, Hays stole second and advanced to third on a hit by sophomore third baseman Kendra Power. With the ball bouncing to left field, Aggie outfielder Jana James bobbled the ball for Texas A&M's first error, giving Hays enough time to slide home for the first and only run of the game.
Continuing to play strong defense, senior Morgan LeCluyse and Power both had huge saves in the field during the first seven innings of action. Holding the Aggies scoreless, LeCluyse stranded two Texas A&M runners on second and third base, catching a fly ball in the left field with two outs in the fifth. Opening the sixth inning, Power chased a pop ball into foul territory, making a catch against the wall next to the Texas A&M dugout for the first out. Missouri was able to hold onto its 1-0 lead in the bottom of the eighth with Power, freshman centerfielder Leanne Bowers and junior shortstop Heather Kunkel providing three outs.
"The team really pushed themselves today," Head Coach Ty Singleton said. "Everyone on the team was completely committed to winning the game, and it showed in all of the great plays we had throughout all eight innings. They looked as strong as I know they are."
Junior pitcher Erin Kalka added five more strikeouts to her growing season total. Now at 273, Kalka is nine strikeouts away from taking the number one spot currently held by Teresa Wilson (281) set in 1982. Kalka holds a 1.81 overall ERA is at 1.28 in Conference play.
In the last pairing between the two schools, Texas A&M managed a 2-0 victory over Missouri in College Station, Texas, on April 24, in College Station. Game two of the series was cancelled due to inclement weather.
The last time Missouri went 2-0 at the Big 12 Softball Conference Championships was in 1997, when the Tigers' knocked off Baylor and Oklahoma State on their way to the school's only Big 12 Championship title.
The eight-inning game was the first of the 2004 Big 12 tournament to advance into extra innings and 12th since the creation of the Conference in 1996.
Missouri will advance to the semifinals against No. 21 Oklahoma on Saturday at 10 a.m., on the main field of the ASA Hall of Fame Stadium. The game will be televised live on Fox Sports Net.
In Missouri's last series against Oklahoma, the Sooners swept the Tigers with 5-0 and 1-0 shutouts in a doubleheader at Norman, Okla., on April 10.