March 15, 2006
Playing their seventh home game in eight days, the Missouri softball team will take on the University of Northern Iowa Panthers in a doubleheader beginning Wednesday, March 15, at 4 p.m. (CST) on University Field. Game two is slated to begin at 6 p.m. (CST). Live stats and All-Access for both games will be provided on the University of Missouri Athletic Department website. (www.mutigers.com) Fans interested in purchasing All-Access and viewing live as well as archived games through their computer are encouraged to visit the website for more information.
Entering the first of two games on the day, the Tigers own a 13-8 record, while the Panthers come in at 6-11-1. The catfight between these two schools is one that dates back to the 1987 season when Missouri walked away with a 3-1 victory in its second game of the campaign. To date, the Tigers hold a 22-7 lead in the all-time series with the Panthers, having lost the most recent game, 8-6, in 2000. This marks the first meeting between Missouri Head Coach Ty Singleton and third year Northern Iowa Coach Christy Herbert.
Missouri is 5-1 at home this season and looks to bounce back from Sunday's 7-6 loss in eight innings to Drake. The Tigers are batting .325 at University Field and stand at 52-for-160 at the plate with nine home runs over the newly installed outfield fence. In only six games at home, the Tigers have outscored their opponents, 46-12, and have held opponents to a .141 batting average. Missouri's pitching staff owns a 1.75 ERA while opponents in the circle stand at 6.62.
Sophomore designated player and pitcher Jen Bruck (St. Peters, Mo.) holds Missouri's highest home field batting average at .526. 10-for-19 at the plate, Bruck has scored 11 runs and crushed two doubles and four home runs to tally nine RBI.
Megan Dennis, Missouri's freshman right-handed pitcher, twirled her first complete game and first collegiate no-hitter last Saturday night at University Field. Playing Mississippi Valley State, Dennis struckout six and forced seven groundouts and four fly balls.
In the circle, Bruck and Dennis have recorded three shutouts on University Field (one combined game) and have struck out 31 batters in 40 innings.
Unlike this past weekend where games were delayed for rain and lightning, the Tigers will take University Field with mostly sunny skies and temperatures in the high 50's.
Following Wednesday's doubleheader, the Tigers will play three more games at home beginning with two on Saturday, March 18 and one on Sunday, March 19 against Louisville.