March 25, 2005
Stillwater, Okla. -- Ranked 16th-in the nation, the Missouri softball improved to 27-3 after splitting the conference opening doubleheader with Oklahoma State in a 6-5, 10-inning first game loss and 12-0, five-inning second game win at Cowgirl Stadium. Altogether, the Tigers tallied 17 runs off of 21 hits in 14 innings of work.
GAME ONE RECAP- Scoreless through the first inning, the Tigers pulled ahead in the top of the second after senior Heather Kunkel (Oak Forest, Ill.) crushed a two-out double to right field and advanced home off of a single to center field by sophomore catcher Kathy Masterson (St. Louis, Mo.) The smash by Kunkel was her 10th of the campaign and 18th of her career, moving her to fourth in the Missouri career doubles record book.
The Cowgirls fought back in the bottom of the fifth inning when catcher Courtney Totte pounded a one-out home run over the right field fence to pull ahead 2-1. Missouri senior pitcher Erin Kalka (Chandler, Okla.) entered the game relieving sophomore Erica Peterson (Irving, Texas) and helped shut down Oklahoma State with the help of the Tiger defense. Kalka fanned one batter and junior third baseman Kendra Power (Kansas City, Mo.) found out number three by fielder's choice.
Battling back in the top of the sixth, Missouri tied the game at two when leadoff hitter junior Janessa Roening (Port Angeles, Wash.) singled to right field and advanced to second on a fielding error by OSU outfielder Ashlyn Watson. Roening rounded third and came home on back-to-back sacrifice flies to center field by Kunkel and Masterson.
Taking their second lead of the game, outfielder Lacy Darity hit the Cowgirls second one-out homer in the bottom of the sixth, bringing the score 3-2.
Missouri tied the game for the second time in the seventh inning when sophomore leadoff hitter Sarah Stringer (Auxvasse, Mo.) doubled to left field bringing up sophomore Leanne Bowers (Arnold, Mo.) who punched a single to center field, advancing Stringer home.
Jumping ahead in the ninth, freshman Amanda Renth (Mascoutah, Ill.) singled to center field to drive in Bowers, who reached first on a shot to right field and took second on a single by freshman Jen Bruck (St. Peters, Mo,) and third on a fielder's choice that tossed Stringer out at home.
The international tie breaker rule went into effect to start the 10th inning, placing senior pinch runner Ashley Hays (Swinkey, Mo.) on second base. Missouri's leadoff hitter Roening laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance Hays to third but was tossed out at first on a play from OSU first baseman Dominic Van Nortwick to second baseman Tara Jeffrey. Next up for Missouri, Kunkel grounded out but Hays ran home for MU's final run of the game.
To date, the 10-inning game is the longest of the season for the Tigers and lasted 3:10 in 40-degree weather. Oklahoma State pulled out the game winning runs in the bottom of the 10th inning scoring two runs off of three hits.
GAME TWO RECAP- The Tigers lit up right-handed OSU pitcher Jessica Hoppock in the top of the second inning, jacking back-to-back home runs, including a grand slam by senior Heather Kunkel (Oak Forest, Ill.) over the center field fence. Scoring eight runs on nine hits, Cowgirl pitcher Randi Cook opened the game for OSU and gave up singles to leadoff hitter Kathy Masterson (St. Louis) and junior Kendra Power (Kansas City, Mo.) before being relieved by Hoppock prior to MU's third at bat. Sophomore Sarah Stringer (Auxvasse, Mo.) was up next for the Tigers and blasted a double to left field that brought in Masterson for the first run of the game. Sophomore Leanne Bowers (Arnold, Mo,) drove in two RBI with her no-out double to left field. Freshman designated player Jen Bruck (St. Peters, Mo.) walked to first and redshirt freshman Micaela Minner (Sanger, Texas) flew out to right field for the first out of the inning. Bruck and Bowers both stole a base and freshman Amanda Renth (Mascoutah, Ill.) struckout looking to bring up junior Janessa Roening (Port Angeles, Wash.). Roening reached first on catcher's interference and with the bases loaded Kunkel pounded a yard ball over the center field fence for a grand slam and four RBI. Masterson, in her second at-bat of the inning, stepped in and launched MU's second straight moonshot to center field for a two-out solo home run, her third homer of the season.
Missouri scored three runs in the third inning and one in the fourth to secure a five-inning victory over the Cowgirls.
Allowing only one hit in five innings of work, sophomore pitcher Erica Peterson (Irving, Texas) improved to 14-1 on the season with a .95 ERA and 119 strikeouts to her name.
Missouri will return to action Thursday, March 31, in a 3 p.m., makeup game with Southern Illinois-Carbondale in Carbondale, Ill., before resuming conference action in a two-game series with No. 9 Oklahoma Saturday, April 2 and Sunday, April 3.