May 10, 2006
Oklahoma City, Okla. - The seventh-seeded Missouri softball team (25-25) won its second game of the Big 12 Championships, upsetting second seeded and 14th-ranked Nebraska (40-9) on field four of ASA Hall of Fame Stadium. Earlier in the day, the Tigers held off No. 10 seed Texas Tech, 6-3. With the win, Missouri advances in the bracket and will play the winner of tomorrow's No. 3 Baylor and No. 6 Kansas game Thursday at 7:30 p.m. on the main field.
Sophomore Jen Bruck (St. Peters, Mo.) crushed her 26th career home run giving Missouri a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning. A leadoff, first pitch home run over the centerfield fence, it was Bruck's 10th of the season and moved her to fifth in the Missouri season home run record book and tied for first alongside teammate Micaela Minner (Sanger, Texas) and 1997 graduate Mary Babb in the Tiger's career record book.
Scoreless through three innings, Nebraska pitcher Ashley DeBuhr loaded the bases in the top of the sixth after intentionally walking Bruck. Designated player Amanda Renth (Mascoutah, Ill.), named to the All Big 12 second team earlier today, stepped in with two outs on the board and managed a first pitch single through the right side to drive in Minner and leadoff batter Leanne Bowers (Arnold, Mo.). Bowers drew four balls from DeBuhr and Minner singled earlier in the inning down the right field line extending her hitting streak to 10 games.
Nebraska dropped its best opportunity to score in the bottom of the sixth inning. With the bases loaded, Nebraska outfielder Trisha Tannahill was advancing from second to third on Katie Linke's single to short but was tagged by the ball for runner's interference and the third out of the inning.
Pitching her 16th complete game, Bruck put an end to Nebraska's eight game win streak, striking out eight batters on her way to a 23-19 record.