Missouri Falls To Southern Illinois in NCAA Regional Action
5/20/2005 12:00:00 AM | Softball
May 20, 2005
The 16th-ranked Missouri Tigers had their chances early, but an inability to capitalize ultimately proved costly, as visiting Southern Illinois-Carbondale used timely hitting and solid defense to post a 3-0 win in the NCAA Softball regional opener this afternoon in Columbia, Mo.
Mizzou (42-14 overall) outhit the 22nd-ranked Salukis (47-12) by a 7-5 margin on the day, but SIU scored an unearned run in the top of the fourth inning, and followed with two runs in the sixth on a two-out homerun to left center by CF Maria Damico. Damico had all three Saluki RBI on the day, as she went 2-for-3.
The Tigers had several scoring opportunities as the game was still young, but Saluki pitcher Amy Harre, who improved to 23-8 on the season with the win, continually found ways out of jams. Mizzou had five hits overall and runners in scoring position in each of the first three innings, only to get turned back.
Freshman DH Jen Bruck doubled to left center with one out in the bottom of the first for Mizzou, but she was stranded there as Harre retired the next two batters. In the bottom of the second inning, MU had runners on second and third with two outs, after consecutive singles by Kathy Masterson and Kendra Power, coupled with a throwing error by SIU second baseman Samantha Carter. Harre unleashed a wild pitch on the very next play, but she covered the plate in time to catch Masterson out trying to score, as Saluki catcher Lauren Roney retrieved the ball and threw in time for the out.
Mizzou led off the bottom of the third inning with consecutive singles by 2B Sarah Stringer and CF Leanne Bowers, but the Tigers couldn't capitalize, as Bruck popped to short for the first out. Left fielder Micaela Minner followed with a fielder's choice, and 1B Amanda Renth grounded out to end the threat.
The Tiger bats went cold after that, as Harre set Mizzou down in order in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings as the Salukis built a 3-0 lead.
Mizzou, playing in front of a University Field-record crowd of 924, staged a rally in the bottom of the seventh, as it loaded the bases with two outs, before Harre struck out Bowers on a 2-2 pitch to end the game. RF Janessa Roening led off the inning with a single, and Power followed with her second hit of the game. Stringer loaded the bases with two outs on a fielder's choice that the SIU shortstop was unable to make a play on after she stopped a ball that glanced off the glove of the third baseman.
Senior RHP Erin Kalka (10-7) took the loss for Mizzou, as she allowed three runs, with two of them earned, in six innings of work. She was perfect through three innings, before Bowers dropped a shallow line drive to center for an error that gave SIU its first base runner of the game to lead off the fourth inning. That runner eventually came around to score with two outs on an infield single. Kalka allowed five hits and struck out four on the day. LHP Erica Peterson pitched a perfect seventh inning for Mizzou.
The loss sends Mizzou to the loser's bracket of the double-elimination four-team regional, and they will face the loser of tonight's game with Stanford and Robert Morris, Saturday at 3:30 p.m. Southern Illinois will await the winner of the Stanford-Robert Morris game, in a Noon Saturday affair.
