Missouri
Baylor
Missouri Softball Team Hands Baylor a 9-2 Loss
5/14/2005 12:00:00 AM | Softball
May 14, 2005
Oklahoma City, Okla. -- Resuming last night's game against fourth-seeded Baylor (47-11), which was suspended due to rain and lightning, the fifth-seeded Missouri softball team (41-12) moved one step closer to the Big 12 Softball Championship game after handing the Bears their worst loss of the season, 9-2, at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City, Okla. The MU victory forces a playoff game between the two teams expected to begin at 12:30 p.m. (CT). The winner will face third-seeded Texas in the Championship game at 3:30 p.m. (CT) broadcast live on Fox Sports.
Baylor threatened MU's game-opening four-run lead with a leadoff home run and bases loaded pop to second base in the bottom of the first inning. Senior pitcher Erin Kalka (Chandler, Okla.) was on the mound for the Tigers and after giving up the yardball to left fielder Kelly Osburn, struck out the next two batters. Kalka twirled five innings of work, fanning six batters to bring her season total to 115. Sophomore left Erica Peterson (Irving, Texas) entered the game in the sixth inning and struck out three.
Unwilling to settle with only four runs, the Tigers returned to the top of the order in the second inning where sophomore Leanne Bowers (Arnold, Mo.) punched a leadoff single to left field and took a trip around the bases on a moonshot to left field by freshman designated player Jen Bruck (St. Peters, Mo.), her 15th blast of the season. Up next for the Tigers, redshirt freshman Micaela Minner (Sanger, Texas) connected for a single to right center, forcing Baylor Head Coach Glenn Moore to bring in right-handed pitcher Nicole Jackson from the bullpen. Jackson managed her first out as freshman Amanda Renth (Mascoutah, Ill.) sent a fly ball to right field, but gave up a two-run blast to junior right fielder Janessa Roening (Port Angeles, Wash.), sending the Tigers up 8-1. Roening was 2-of-3 on the day.
Senior Heather Kunkel (Oak Forest, Ill.) came up with Missouri's ninth run of the game, a two-out seventh inning home run over the center field fence. Missouri currently has three Tigers that own 15 home runs on the season (Kunkel, Minner and Bruck). Sophomore catcher Alyson Tobyne (Gilbert, Ariz.) followed for MU's 12th and final hit of the game, a double to deep left field.
The Bears came up with one final run in the bottom of the seventh as Kylie Conroy advanced home on a stolen base and Missouri error.
Missouri opened action last night with a fly ball to left field by leadoff hitter Bowers to bring up Bruck who drew a walk off BU pitcher Lisa Ferguson. Next up for Missouri, Minner reached first on an error and Renth walked to load the bases for Roening. Hitless through two games, Roening's bat warmed as she doubled to center field and advanced Bruck and Minner home. Kunkel, who hit a grand slam in the Tiger's first game of the day, punched a single to right field and advanced to second on the throw, helping Renth and Roening round the bases.
The game, which started at 8:25 p.m. last night was called with one out on the board.
