Feb. 24, 2007
Fayetteville, Ark. - The Missouri softball team (12-6) played its way into the No. 1 seed of the Clarion Inn Lady'Back Invitational after shutting down Wichita State (6-9), 8-2, in Lady'Back Park. Junior pitcher Jen Bruck (St. Peters, Mo.) played strong both offensively and on defense, going 2-for-2 at the plate with two home runs and striking out six of the 17 batters she faced in the circle. With her second crush of the game, Bruck etched her name into the Missouri career home run record book with 28. In the circle, Bruck improved to 5-0 on the season.
For the seventh straight game, the Missouri softball team managed to put the first run on the board. Senior outfielder Leanne Bowers (Arnold, Mo.) reached base on balls from the leadoff position for the fifth time of the season, advancing to second on a botched fielder's choice that left both Bowers and sophomore Allen Allen (Barnhart, Mo.) safe at second and first, respectively. One out later, Masterson was hit by pitch to load the bases for five-hole hitter redshirt junior Micaela Minner (Sanger, Texas). Minner offered up a sacrifice fly to deep right field, allowing Bowers to tag up and run home.
The Tigers tacked on an additional two runs in the bottom of the second inning. Junior pitcher Jen Bruck (St. Peters, Mo.) led off with a home run over the centerfield wall. The crush was Bruck's first of the season, moving her into a tie for first with Minner on the Missouri career home run record book. Second baseman Sarah Stringer (Auxvasse, Mo.) was the second Tiger to score, reaching base on balls, advancing to second on a sacrifice bunt by freshman Julie Silver (Chesterfield, Mo.) and scoring on Bower's double to left field.
Wichita State came within one run in the top of the fourth, scoring two runs on four hits. Bruck threw four complete innings, stuck out six and forced three groundouts before being relieved by sophomore Megan Dennis (Liberty, Mo.) in the fifth inning. Freshman Alaina Jacobson (Crocker, Mo.) entered the game in the sixth setting down the side in both the sixth and seventh innings.
Missouri scored eight runs, four earned, on four hits. Bruck's record-setting home run came in the fifth inning with one out. The Tigers lit up Shockers' pitcher Margo Pruis who hurled 4.1 innings, gave up all four Tiger hits and eight runs and walked six batters.
Missouri is 4-0 in the Clarion Inn Lady'Back Invitational with eight Tigers' batting above .300. Silver leads her Tiger teammates with a .714 average, ripping five hits in her seven at bats. The Tigers have already accumulated 46 stolen bases on the season, averaging 2.5 successful swipes per game. Fourteen of Missouri's 46 stolen bags have come at the tournament.
Missouri will play its fifth game of the tournament at 11:45 a.m. (CT) against No. 4 seed Arkansas.(5-8) The championship game of the Clarion Inn Lady'Back Invitational will begin at 2 p.m. (CT).