Missouri
Mississippi Valley State
Missouri Softball Eliminated from NCAA Regional Play
5/21/2004 12:00:00 AM | Softball
May 21, 2004
Los Angeles, Calif. - The Missouri softball team was eliminated from the NCAA Regional Championships after falling 4-3 to Mississippi Valley State 4-3 in the 9 a.m. (PT) game Friday morning. The Tigers dropped to 29-26 overall while Mississippi Valley improves to 32-16.
Junior shortstop Heather Kunkel knocked in Missouri's first run of the game. With one out on the board and the bases loaded, Kunkel hit a fly ball to right field, providing senior Morgan LeCluyse time to run home tying the game at one a piece. The inning came to a close as freshman Alli Kennewell was tagged out while sliding into second.
Missouri's next two runs came in the sixth inning as Kennewell hit a two-out standup double to push LeCluyse and freshman A.J. White across home plate. Both LeCluyse and White hit singles to left field to stand on base. The Tigers' 3-1 lead quickly evaporated in the sixth as Mississippi Valley State catcher Natasha McFadden hit a three-run homerun over the left field fence.
Opening the game with a 1-0 count, freshman Leanne Bowers knocked a single to right field to start the first game of day two at the NCAA Region Two Championships. The Tigers combined for seven hits throughout six and a half innings of action.
Freshman left-handed pitcher Erica Peterson made her seventh start of the season, striking out three straight batters between the second and third inning. In all, Peterson totaled seven strikeouts facing 22 batters. Junior Erin Kalka pitched relief in the sixth inning closing out the game with a strikeout. Peterson holds a 3-4 record.
