May 12, 2006
Oklahoma City, Okla. - Playing their second game of the day in the Big 12 Championships, the Missouri softball team (26-27) suffered its second loss of the tournament and was eliminated by No. 20 Oklahoma (38-18-1). Fifth-seeded Oklahoma and seventh-seeded Missouri are the only two schools to be among the final four in competition in each of the past three years.
Entering the Championship as a higher seed than Missouri, the Sooners were awarded home team honors and scored first in the bottom of the first frame. Leadoff batter Norrelle Dickson laid down a bunt to reach first, advancing to second on a sacrifice bunt by Amber Spaulding. Cleanup hitter Samantha Ricketts drove in the Sooner's first run with a single up the middle.
Oklahoma added two runs in the bottom of the second. Credited with two Tiger errors in the inning, only one of OU's runs came across earned.
Similar to last night's game against Kansas, freshman shortstop Andee Allen (Barnhart, Mo.) came up with Missouri's first hit of the evening, a two-out single up the middle in the top of the fourth inning. Allen was left on base when sophomore second baseman Sarah Stringer (Auxvasse, Mo.) grounded out to second.
Senior Joanne Loethen (St. Thomas, Mo.) recorded the Tiger's second hit of the game, a base knock down the left field line in the fifth, but was tagged out at second when junior outfielder Leanne Bowers (Arnold, Mo.) reached on a fielder's choice.
OU scored its fourth and final run of the game in the fifth inning when Kristin Veseley scored from second on Savannah Long's sacrifice fly to right field.
Pinch hitting in the seventh inning, sophomore Kathy Masterson knocked Missouri's only extra base hit of the night. Taking the first pitch from D.J Hathis, Masterson crushed a double to deep left field, her fourth of the season.
Despite the loss, this marked Missouri's furthest trip in the Big 12 postseason Championship while seeded lower than fifth since 1998.