March 4, 2006
Springfield, Mo. - Playing in their second game of the Missouri State Spring Classic, the Missouri Tigers (6-7), dropped a two-run game, 9-7, to host school Missouri State (9-5) at the Missouri State Softball Field in Springfield, Mo. Three Tigers crushed home runs, including redshirt sophomore Micaela Minner (Sanger, Texas), whose fourth inning grand slam helped Missouri, down 6-2 entering the inning, tie the game at six. The crush was Minner's first career grand slam, third homer of the season, and 20th blast of her career.
Batting leadoff, Bowers opened the game with Missouri's second triple of the season and her 24th career opening game hit. Finding the sweet spot of Missouri State pitcher Shannon Buslepp's second pitch of the game, Bowers punched the ball to deep left center to reach third, but was tagged out later in the inning in an attempt to steal home during Minner's at bat. Bowers finished the day 2-for-3 with a triple, second inning home run, fourth inning intentional walk and fifth inning strikeout.
After loading the bases in the bottom of the first, sophomore pitcher Jen Bruck (St. Peters, Mo.) found her way out of the inning by striking out six-hole hitter Melissa Porche. Bruck gave up back-to-back singles to start the inning before Michelle Armentrout and Buslepp went down swinging. Right fielder Jessica Smith drew a walk to load the bases and Porche struck out swinging. Bruck, now 6-5 on the season, twirled five innings of work, the first two and final three of the game. Freshman righty Megan Dennis (Liberty, Mo.) hurled one complete inning and together the duo struck out six batters, forced six groundouts and gave up 13 hits.
Missouri State scored four runs off two hits and three Tiger errors in the bottom of the second inning to take a commanding lead. Back-to-back singles by Busslepp and Smith combined with three straight errors by Missouri's defense put the Tigers down early. The Bears pulled further ahead in the third, scoring two runs off two hits for the 6-1 lead.
Bowers was the first Tiger to score with her third inning one-out home run over the centerfield fence. Missouri came on strong in the top of the fourth scoring five runs off three hits and one error. With two outs on the board, freshman shortstop Andee Allen (Barnhart, Mo.) reached second on a standup double to left center advancing home on junior second baseman Alli Kennewell's (Eden Prairie, Minn.) first double of the season. Returning to the top of the order, Bowers was intentionally walked, Missouri's first IBB of the season, and Roening reached first on a fielder's choice that sent Bowers to second while Kennewell reached third on a throwing error by Missouri State shortstop Alicia Jager. Next to the plate was Minner who blasted Buslepp's pitch deep over the wall in right field for her first career grand slam. The Tigers scored their final run of the game in the fifth inning when junior third baseman Jaci Schuyler (Wichita, Kan.) blasted her third career homer as a Tiger, a two out shot over the centerfield fence.
Not to be outdone, the Bears came back and scored two runs in the bottom of the fourth and one run in the sixth securing their eventual 9-7 victory.
Next up for the Tigers, Missouri will face UMKC at 10 a.m. (CST) followed by a 12:30 meeting with Saint Louis University in the final day of tournament competition.