Missouri
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Kansas
Tigers Shutout Jayhawks, 3-0, in Game One of Doubleheader
4/18/2007 12:00:00 AM | Softball
April 18, 2007
Lawrence, Kan. - The Missouri softball team (31-18, 7-1) returned to its winning ways after taking a 3-0 victory over Midwest Ford Border Showdown opponent Kansas (27-17-1, 3-7) in game one of a doubleheader played at Arrocha Ballpark. Junior pitcher Jen Bruck (St. Peters, Mo.) was credited with the win, her 15th of the season and seventh in Big 12 play.
With the victory, Missouri clinches the Border Showdown Cup for the 2006-07 season.
After rain in Columbia, Mo., forced a postponement in last Wednesday's home game with Kansas, the two teams decided to instead play a doubleheader in Lawrence, Kan. Despite playing on the Jayhawks' field, Missouri served as the home team in game one.
Redshirt junior Micaela Minner (Sanger, Texas) put the Tigers on the board with her two out single down the right field line in the bottom of the third inning. Minner's hit drove in senior Leanne Bowers (Arnold, Mo.) from second base. Bowers, who led off the inning, reached first on a fielding error and stole second to become the second Tiger of the game to stand in scoring position.
The bases were loaded when junior Amanda Renth (Mascoutah, Ill.) took her turn at the plate in the bottom of the fifth. Leading off the inning, senior Alli Kennewell (Eden Prairie, Minn.) doubled to left field and was awarded second when catcher Kathy Masterson reached base on balls. Jayhawk Head Coach Tracy Bunge was forced to go to her bullpen and bring in Sarah Vertelka to close out the inning. Vertelka managed to strike out Bowers, but walked Silver to bring cleanup batter Renth to the dish. With the wind blowing in, Renth was unable to connect on her 14th homer of the season, but did send up a sacrifice fly to right field that sent Kennewell home from third. Renth now has a team high 51 RBI on the season which stands sixth in the Missouri season record book.
The Tigers extended their lead to three on Kennewell's sixth inning one run single to right field. Driving in pinch runner Sara Simons (Kearney, Mo.), who ran for Bruck after the junior hit a single through the left side, Kennewell finished the day 3-for-3 at the plate with one RBI and one run.
Missouri and Kansas will begin game two of the doubleheader at 5:05 p.m.
