University of Missouri
Drake
Tigers Suffer Extra Inning Loss to Drake
3/12/2006 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 12, 2006
Columbia, Mo. - Missouri (13-8) suffered a 7-6 loss to Drake, in eight innings in its fourth and final game of the Tiger Invitational at University Field. The Tigers tallied one run in each of the first four innings and two in the sixth for a four-run lead, but Drake came back and scored four runs in the seventh to tie the game and one run in the top of the eighth for the eventual win.
Drake scored first, but sophomore Jen Bruck's (St. Peters, Mo.) fourth home run of the season helped tie the game at one in the bottom of the first inning. With two outs on the board, Bruck sent the ball deep over the fence in right center for her 20th career crush. Bruck now stands __ on the Missouri career home run record book. Two-for-three on the day, Bruck blasted a seventh inning double, her fourth of the season.
Drake regained the lead in the top of the second with a one-out home run by Bulldog catcher Cassie Heller. Missouri again tied the game in the bottom of the inning when junior Leanne Bowers (Arnold, Mo.), 2-for-4, scored on a double to centerfield by junior catcher Kathy Masterson (St. Louis, Mo.). Earlier in the inning, Bowers reached first on a two-out bunt. Bowers stole second, her seventh successful swipe of the season, before being sent home on the double.
Missouri scored its final two runs of the game in the sixth inning. Masterson, also 2-for-3 on the day with a second inning RBI double, knocked a single up the middle, advancing home on junior second baseman Sarah Stringer's (Auxvasse, Mo.) double to left center. Next at the plate, freshman shortstop Andee Allen (Barnhart, Mo.) singled down the right field line sending Stringer home.
The Bulldogs capitalized on three hits in the seventh to score four runs and tie the game and send it into extra innings. With the international tie breaker rule put into action, Emily Hajduk was placed on second base to begin the eighth inning. Hajduk scored on back-to-back passed balls and Missouri was unable to put together any hits in the bottom of the inning for a win.
The Tigers continue their homestand with a doubleheader against Northern Iowa Wednesday, March 15, beginning at 4 p.m. on University Field.
