May 7, 2006
Box Score
Lincoln, Neb. - After giving up three unearned runs in the bottom of the fifth inning, the Missouri softball team (23-25, 7-11) suffered a sweep by No. 14 Nebraska (40-8, 12-5) at Bowlin Stadium dropping today's game, 5-3, on NU's senior day.
Battling a 1-2 count, sophomore Jen Bruck (St. Peters, Mo.) drove in Missouri's only three runs with her ninth homer of the season, a crush to deep left center in the first inning. The 25th blast of her career, Bruck moved to third in the Missouri home run record book and is one knock shy of tying teammate Micaela Minner (Sanger, Texas) and 1997 graduate Mary Babb for the number one spot. Earlier in the inning, with one out on the board, senior outfielder Janessa Roening (Port Angeles, Wash.) reached first after being hit by pitch from NU freshman Kimeberly Fuller. With three-hole hitter Minner at the plate, the lefty singled through the left side to bring up cleanup hitter Bruck. Buck's home run was her first in five games (April 26 vs. Iowa State).
Entering the two-game series against No. 14 Nebraska, Bruck held the highest batting average of the league (.467) against conference opponents only. Bruck finished the day 2-for-3 at the plate and is now .471 against Big 12 opponents.
Nebraska scored two runs on three hits in the bottom of the third frame to pull within one of the Tigers. With runners on second and third, catcher Jamie Waldecker hit a two out single to the gap in right center driving in two runs. All three Husker runs scored in the bottom of the fifth frame came across unearned after sophomore second baseman Sarah Stringer (Auxvasse, Mo.) bobbled the ball in Devin Porter's at bat, allowing two runs to advance home. Nebraska's final run scored when senior Trisha Tannahill stole home and was called safe at the plate on a late throw from shortstop Andee Allen (Barnhart, Mo.) to catcher Alyson Tobyne (Gilbert, Ariz.).
The Tigers will travel to Oklahoma City, Okla., for the 11th annual Big 12 Softball Championships May 10-13. With today's loss, combined with a 3-0 Kansas win over Iowa State, the Tigers will enter the four-day tournament as the No. 7 seed and will play their first game Wednesday, May 10 at 5:30 p.m. (CST) against No. 10 seed Texas Tech.