Missouri
Oklahoma State
Missouri Pulls Out 5-3 Win over Oklahoma State
4/14/2006 12:00:00 AM | Softball
April 14, 2006
Columbia, Mo. - The Missouri softball team (20-17, 4-4) pulled out a 5-3 victory over Oklahoma State (16-22, 2-8) on University Field in Missouri's fifth Friday night game of the season. Two Tigers moved up in the Missouri career home run record book when junior left fielder Leanne Bowers (Arnold, Mo.) and starting pitcher Jen Bruck (St. Peters, Mo.) crushed their 15th and 24th career yard balls, respectively.
The Tigers put up their first run, unearned, in the bottom of the second inning. Sophomore designated player Amanda Renth (Mascoutah, Ill.) led off for Missouri. Drawing four balls from OSU pitcher Jessica Hoppock, Renth walked to first and was relieved by sophomore Amy Henke (Florissant, Mo.) who pinch ran the remainder of the inning. With senior outfielder Janessa Roening (Port Angeles, Wash.) at the plate, Henke stole second and ran home on two errors, throwing and fielding, by Cowgirl centerfielder Shanel Scott.
Bowers crushed Missouri's 33rd home run of the season over the wall in right center giving the Tiger's a two-run lead. The blast was Bowers' second of the season and 15th of her career, moving her to eighth in the Missouri career home run record book. Bowers' last home run of 2006 came against Missouri State March 4. With the hit, Bowers, 2-for-3 on the day, increased her hitting streak to seven games.
Freshman shortstop Andee Allen (Barnhart, Mo.) hit a bases loaded single to centerfield to drive in Renth for Missouri's third run of the game in the fourth frame.
Pitcher Bruck was 1-for-2 at the plate, blasting a two-run homer over the centerfield wall. Earlier in the inning, Bowers hit a 1-0 triple to deep left field bringing Bruck to the plate. The homer was Bruck's seventh of the season and 24th of her career moving her to third alongside 1997 graduate Barb Wright and 2005 graduate Heather Kunkel in the career home run record book.
Oklahoma State cut Missouri's lead to two runs in the top of the sixth. Scoring three runs on four hits with two outs on the board, Bruck found her way out of the inning by striking out pinch hitter Ashlyn Watson. Missouri freshman Megan Dennis (Liberty, Mo.) twirled the final inning of action and recorded her first save of the season.
From the circle, Bruck hurled six innings striking out a season high nine batters and forcing
The Tigers and Cowgirls will play game two of the series tomorrow beginning at 2 p.m. (CST). Live stats will be provided through Gametracker at mutigers.com with live audio available on 88.1 FM KCOU in Columbia.
