March 11, 2006
Columbia, Mo. - The Missouri softball team improved to 12-7 on the season after shutting down Mississippi Valley State, 10-0 in six innings in the fourth game of the second annual Tiger Invitational at University Field. Freshman pitcher Megan Dennis (Liberty, Mo.) twirled her first collegiate no-hitter and first complete game to improve to 1-2 on the season.
Originally scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. (CST), rain and lightning forced a four hour delay that suspended Missouri's earlier game against Drake in which the Tigers led, 8-0, in the top of the seventh. Play for the Missouri, Drake game will resume Sunday afternoon at 1:30 p.m. with game two between the Tigers and Bulldogs slated to begin immediately afterwards.
Playing the opening innings in heavy fog, the Missouri Tigers scored first. Driving in one run in the top of the first, sophomore designated player Jen Bruck (St. Peters, Mo.) knocked a two-out single up the middle to reach first, advancing home on redshirt sophomore Micaela Minner's (Sanger, Texas) standup double to left center. With runners on the corners, sophomore first baseman Amanda Renth (Mascoutah, Ill.) reached first on a routine pop up dropped by Devillette third baseman Megan Hays, sending Minner safely to third. Minner and Renth were left on base after sophomore Amanda Jo White (Tallmadge, Ohio) struck out swinging.
The Tigers added two runs in the third frame after Minner crushed a two-out, two-run home run over the wall in left center. The blast was Minner's fifth of the season, 22nd of her two-year career and helped her to three RBI on the day.
Devilette pitcher Jalena Brown walked in the first of seven runs in the top of the sixth inning. With the bases loaded, junior Sarah Stringer (Auxvasse, Mo.) drew four balls to reach first. In the Tigers' next at bat, freshman Andee Allen (Barnhart, Mo) doubled to left center sending in two more Missouri runs. With runners on second and third, Bruck crushed the first of back-to-back Tiger home runs over the left field wall bringing sophomore outfielder Sara Simons (Kearney, Mo.) to the plate. Simons jacked her first career homer over the wall in left helping Missouri to a 10-run lead and eventual win.
Dennis finished the game with six strikeouts, forcing seven groundouts and four fly balls.
The Tiger Invitational continues Sunday morning at 11 a.m. with a game between Mississippi Valley State and Drake.