March 19, 2005
Columbia, Mo. - Ranked 18th in the nation, the Missouri softball team opened the Tiger Invitational with a 2-0 record after topping teams from the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC, 12-0) and Louisiana Tech (11-1) in five innings on University Field. With the wins, the Tigers improve to 24-2 on the season and both MU pitchers, freshman Jen Bruck (St. Peters, Mo) and sophomore Erica Peterson (Irving, Texas) move to 12-1 on their campaigns.
Scoring two runs in the top of the first inning, junior Janessa Roening rounded the bases after hitting a single, stealing second, advancing to third on a passed ball and scoring on a two-out double from freshman Amanda Renth (Mascoutah, Ill.). Up next for Missouri, senior Heather Kunkel ripped a triple to advance Renth home for the second run of the inning. The triple was Kunkel's third crush of the season.
Scoreless in the second inning, Missouri notched two more runs and added eight in the top of the fifth to end the game with a 12-0 shutout. Sophomores Kathy Masterson and Jaci Schuyler pounded back-to-back homers to secure the victory. The shutout was Missouri's eighth of the season.
Peterson earned her 12th win of the season after tossing three innings of action and striking out three batters. Senior pitcher Erin Kalka (Chandler, Okla.) entered the game in the fourth inning and struckout two batters.
Missouri opened its second game against Louisiana Tech and tallied 11 runs off of 16 hits in five innings of action. Three Tigers, Renth, Roening and Kunkel smashed yard balls in the game and Missouri scored 10 runs off of 11 hits in the top of the third inning. With one out on the board, Renth stepped up and pounded the first homer of the game and her third of the season and Kunkel was two batters behind with her two RBI moonshot.
Kalka tossed two innings of work and mowed down four batters, while Bruck tossed two and struckout one. Peterson entered the game in the fifth and final inning to hold the Lady Techsters to only one run.
Off to a 24-2 start on the 2005 campaign, this is Missouri's best opening season record since the creation of the program 30 years ago. The Tigers will resume action tomorrow on University Field and again battle teams from UMKC and Louisiana Tech at 12:30 (CT) and 3 p.m. (CT) respectively.