May 12, 2005
Rebounding from their opening game loss to Baylor, the 18th-ranked Missouri softball team (39-12) topped eighth-seeded Oklahoma State (33-22), 5-1, in the Big 12 tournament at ASA Stadium in Oklahoma City, Okla. Freshman first baseman Amanda Renth (Mascoutah, Ill.) crushed her second grand slam of the season over the centerfield fence in the fifth inning to drive in four of Missouri's five runs.
Putting Missouri's first run on the board in the bottom of the second inning, junior leadoff hitter Janessa Roening (Port Angeles, Wash.) knocked a single up the middle to bring up senior shortstop Heather Kunkel's (Oak Forest, Ill.). In her first at bat of the game, Kunkel ripped a triple to right center, her third of the season, to send Roening around the horn.
Held to two hits through four innings, the Tigers lit up right-handed relief pitcher Jessica Hoppock in the bottom of the fifth. Sophomore second baseman Sarah Stringer (Auxvasse, Mo.) walked to first returning MU to the top of the lineup. Sophomore centerfielder Leanne Bowers (Arnold, Mo.) drilled a fly ball to center field and freshman designated player Jen Bruck (St. Peters, Mo.) reached first on a single to left field. Up next for the Tigers, redshirt freshman Micaela Minner (Sanger, Texas) was hit by pitch, her second hit in two games, loading the bases for Renth who blasted her seventh homer of the season. The Tigers now own 73 yardballs on the season.
Senior pitching ace Erin Kalka (Chandler, Okla.) twirled the entire seven-inning game for Missouri, holding the Cowgirls to only one run off three hits. OSU first baseman Dominique VanNortwick connected for a seventh-inning home run to avoid a shutout, but it wasn't enough to help the Cowgirls from Big 12 tournament elimination. Kalka tallied a season-high 11 strikeouts in Missouri's game.
The Tigers continue tournament action, tomorrow in a 1:30 p.m. (CT) game against the loser of today's 7 p.m. game with Nebraska and Texas.