May 14, 2005
Final Stats
Oklahoma City, Okla. -- Playing their third game of the day, the fourth-seeded Missouri softball team (42-13) fell 2-0 to third-seeded Texas in the Championship game of the Big 12 tournament at ASA Stadium in Oklahoma City, Okla. Four Tigers were named to the league's All-Tournament team, seniors Erin Kalka (Chandler, Okla.) and Heather Kunkel (Oak Forest, Ill.), junior Janessa Roening (Port Angeles, Wash.) and freshman Jen Bruck (St. Peters, Mo.). This was Missouri's third appearance in the Big 12 softball Championship game and second straight year in which the Tigers finished runner up. Missouri finished the three-day tournament with a 4-2 record and was the first team in the history of the tournament to drop its opening game and come all of the way back for a championship appearance.
A pitcher's duel through four innings, redshirt freshman Micaela Minner (Sanger, Texas) ended UT Olympic gold medalist pitcher Cat Osterman's perfect game in the top of the fourth inning. Batting leadoff, Minner ripped her first triple of the season but remained on third and was forced to watch the next three Tiger batters strikeout, two swinging one looking.
Right-handed ace Kalka saw her no-hitter come to an end in the bottom of the fifth inning as Texas shortstop Desiree Williams knocked a leadoff single up the middle to reach first. UT catcher Megan Willis followed with a fielder's choice that tagged Williams out at second on the throw from sophomore catcher Alyson Tobyne (Gilbert, Ariz.) to shortstop Kunkel. With one out on the board, Longhorn third baseman Winter Turner notched UT's second hit with a single to left field and both Texas base-runners advanced one base on a passed ball. Designated player and eight-hole hitter Monica Askew came up with the game-winning, two run single, with a one-hop hit just missing Kalka's outstretched glove. Sophomore third baseman Kendra Power (Kansas City, Mo.) helped take the Tigers into the top of the sixth catching a fly ball in foul territory.
Kalka (10-6) was credited with her sixth loss of the season after twirling five innings of the Championship game. Kalka gave up two runs off four hits and struck out two batters. Kalka was 3-1 in the Big 12 tournament and notched 28 strikeouts in 28 innings of work. Sophomore Erica Peterson (Irving, Texas) and Bruck (St. Peters, Mo.) both entered the game in the final inning of play.
The Tigers will head home to await their NCAA Regional tournament fate in an announcement to be made Sunday, May 15, at 6:30 p.m. (CT) on ESPNews.
Missouri's and Texas' appearance in the Championship game marked the first time since the creation of the league that the No. 1 or No. 2 seeded team failed advance to the championship game.