April 2, 2005
Columbia, Mo. -- The 16h-ranked Missouri softball team dropped an 8-3 game to Big 12 opponent No. 9 Oklahoma today on University Field. With the loss, the Tigers are now 27-5 on the season and 1-2 in league action, while OU improves to 35-6 and 3-0. Sophomore outfielder Leanne Bowers (Arnold, Mo.) scored MU's final run of the game with a seventh inning solo-shot to right field. It was her sixth yard ball of the season and fourth as leadoff hitter.
Opening action nearly ninety minutes late due to an umpire traveling conflict, the Sooners jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning. OU outfielder Jessica Leslie powered a two-out single to second base, advancing to second on an error by Missouri sophomore second baseman Sarah Stringer (Auxvasse, Mo.) and home off of a single to right field by sophomore Jamie Fox. The inning came to a close on a flyout by Sooner first baseman Christina Enea.
The Tigers answered Oklahoma's run with two of their own in bottom of the second. Bowers led off for the Tigers with a single up the middle. Freshman Jen Bruck (St. Peters, Mo.) popped to centerfield bringing up lefty redshirt freshman Micaela Minner (Sanger, Texas) who walked, forcing Bowers to second. Freshman first baseman Amanda Renth (Mascoutah, Ill.) stepped up and knocked a single to left field, advancing to second on the throw. The rip brought Bowers home and pushed Minner to third. With two runners on base, freshman Amy Henke (Florissant, Mo.) pinch ran for Renth, junior Janessa Roening (Port Angeles, Wash.) offered a sacrifice fly to left field bringing home Minner for the second run of the game. Henke was tossed out at third for the final out of the inning.
Oklahoma scored one run in the third inning to tie the game at two, and while scoreless through the fifth, the Sooners pulled ahead in the sixth with six runs off four hits and two Missouri errors.
"I'm disappointed in our sixth inning performance today," Head Coach Ty Singleton said. "We started to play more tentative than we have all season and it was obvious through the errors we made on the field. We need to put today's game behind us and focus on what's ahead."
Entering the bottom of the seventh inning, Missouri returned to the top of the order with right-handed Bowers sending a moonshot over the right field fence and bouncing into the street. Bowers now holds 10 homers on her career and moved to a tie for ninth in the Missouri career home runs record book. Bowers is tied with Minner.
Senior Erin Kalka (Chandler, Okla.) was credited with her second loss of the season. Tossing five complete innings of work, Kalka struckout five, but gave up six hits. Sophomore Erica Peterson (Irving, Texas) and Bruck also made appearances in the game. Peterson faced only one batter and gave up a hit, while Bruck twirled for two innings, struckout two and gave up three hits.
The Tigers and Sooners will close the two-game series tomorrow in a noon game on University Field.