April 30, 2005
Columbia, Mo. - Taking the game a full seven innings, the 20th-ranked Missouri softball team (35-10, 7-7) knocked off No. 4 Texas A&M (42-5, 13-3), 6-5, in front of a record-setting 691 fans adorned in lei's for the promotional Jimmy Buffett Day at University Field. Three Tigers, junior Janessa Roening (Port Angeles, Wash.), and freshmen Amanda Renth (Mascoutah, Ill.) and Jen Bruck (St. Peters, Mo.) crushed yard balls over the outfield fence bringing the MU season homer total to 67, 22 launched against Big 12 opponents.
Taking advantage of Missouri's only fielding error of the game, Texas A&M jumped to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning after third baseman Jamie Hinshaw walked to first, stole second and ran to third on a throwing error by MU sophomore catcher Kathy Masterson (St. Louis, Mo.) to senior shortstop Heather Kunkel (Oak Forest, Ill.) . With designated player Amanda Scarborough at the plate, Hinshaw advanced home on a single, the only Texas A&M unearned run of the game. Freshman pitcher Bruck helped close down the inning striking out six-hole hitter Lindsay Park. Bruck tossed 3.2 innings of work, fanning four batters, three in the first inning.
Leading off for Missouri in her 44th game of the season, sophomore centerfielder Leanne Bowers (Arnold, Mo.) reached first after swatting a single up the middle. Her 18th hit of the campaign in the lead off position, Bowers took a trip around the bases when junior outfielder Roening blasted her fifth home run of the season over the centerfield fence giving MU a 2-1 lead.
The Aggies answered with a run in the top of the third to tie the game and regained ground in the fourth and fifth innings scoring one run in each. Battling at every turn, the Tigers refused to stay down, scoring a lead off shot to left center in the bottom of the fifth by Renth, her fifth of the season, followed by a one out, two RBI moonshot to right center by Bruck in the bottom of the sixth. Bruck now owns 12 homers on the season, and stands alone at fourth on the MU season home run chart, behind redshirt freshman Micaela Minner's (Sanger, Texas) and Kunkel's 15 and 13 blasts, respectively.
Down one run entering the top of the seventh inning, A&M's Park smacked a double to left field, bringing in Jami Lobpries to pinch run. On a standup double to left center by right fielder Rocky Spencer, Lobpries scored to tie the game at five, but the inning came to a close with senior pitcher Erin Kalka (Chandler, Texas) on the mound.
The Tigers rallied in the seventh as pinch hitter freshman Sara Simons (Kearney, Mo.) walked to first, with sophomore second baseman Sarah Stringer (Auxvasse, Mo.) reentering the game to run for Simons. Bowers took her turn at the plate and offered a sacrifice bunt that advanced Stringer to second. Roening notched her third RBI of the game punching a single to right field that was enough to send Stringer home for the game winning run.
Missouri played strong defense against the Aggies, totaling 21 putouts and nine assists while stranding 11 runners on base. Masterson tallied five putouts from her work behind the plate, including a huge save on a double play in the third inning that resulted in an out at the plate and first base.
The Tigers will close out the two-game series tomorrow on University Field with a noon game. Live stats will be provided at www.mutigers.com and a radio broadcast will be available through KCOU (88.1 FM).