Feb. 15, 2008
Las Vegas, Nev. -The No. 22 Missouri softball team played its first game of the Louisville Slugger Desert Classic and suffered a 4-0 loss to sixth-ranked UCLA to fall to 3-3 on the season. Junior Stacy Delaney (Freeland, Mich.) threw her third complete game of the year, but was credited with the loss (1-2) after allowing seven Bruin hits. All four of UCLA's runs were unearned as Missouri totaled a season high four errors in the field.
Three Tigers hit singles off of UCLA pitcher Donna Kerr, with two hits recorded in the first inning. Leading off the lineup for the sixth straight game, freshman Rhea Taylor (Buford, Ga.) singled through the left side and stole second becoming the first Tiger to reach scoring position. Taylor is now 5-of-5 on stolen bases this season. After sophomore Julie Silver (Chesterfield, Mo.) struck out, senior Amanda Renth (Mascoutah, Ill.) singled through the left side, allowing Taylor to advance to third. Renth, who had recorded only five stolen bases in her Tiger career prior to today's game, stole second on junior Lindsey Ubrun's (Riverside, Calif.) strike out. Senior Jen Bruck (St. Peters, Mo.) was walked, loading the bases for third baseman Gina Schneider (Liberty, Mo.). Schneider struck out looking to end the inning.
Freshman catcher Megan Christopher (Wright City, Mo.) knocked a leadoff single to right field in the top of the second inning, but was left on base on three consecutive fly ball outs.
By the end of the game, Missouri had stranded eight Tigers on base.
UCLA scored a single run in the first inning, two in the third frame and a final run in the bottom of the fourth, all unearned due to Tiger errors. Missouri hasn't made four or more errors in a game since its April 22, 2007 meeting with Texas A&M in Columbia.
Missouri will play its second game of the day at 5 p.m. (CT) against BYU on Stephanie Lynn Craig Park Field No. 1. This marks the first meeting in program history between the two teams.