April 6, 2008
Norman, Okla. -Playing a close game with the 11th-ranked Oklahoma Sooners, the Missouri softball team suffered a 4-3 loss at Marita Hynes Field at the OU Softball Complex to fall to 33-12 on the season and 2-4 in Big 12 play. Scoring the game-winning run in the bottom of the seventh, Oklahoma improves to 32-8 and 6-0.
Senior first baseman Amanda Renth (Mascoutah, Ill.) hit her ninth home run of the season to put the Tigers up 2-0 in the first over Oklahoma. With the count at 1-1, Renth crushed the ball deep over the center field wall driving in leadoff batter, freshman Rhea Taylor (Buford, Ga.), from third. Taylor opened the inning with a single through the right side and stole second for her 39th swipe of the campaign.
Oklahoma pulled within one in the bottom half of the first with leadoff batter Amber Flores scoring an unearned run on first baseman Samantha Ricketts' sacrifice fly to center field. The Sooners pulled ahead in the bottom of the second, tacking on two runs on nine-hole hitter Haley Anderson's single to center field. The play resulted in two RBI for Anderson, but both Anderson and Jessica Legendre, who was on first, were declared out on a double play in which six of Missouri's fielders had a hand on the ball.
Returning to the top of the order in the third, Taylor's unearned run brought the Tigers even with the Sooners making for a brand new ball game. With one out on the board, Taylor reached first on a fielding error by OU shortstop Savannah Long and stole second base. Taylor finished the day 3-of-3 on stolen bases and now leads the nation with 41 bags. In addition, Taylor moves into a tie for third in the Missouri single season home run record book. Taylor is tied with All-American Kris Schmidt, who stole 41 bases in 1988, her junior year.
Scoreless through three innings, Oklahoma's Anderson broke the game open in the bottom of the seventh. Reaching base on balls, the Sooner advanced to second on a two out single to center field and scored on Ricketts' single to centerfield.
Sophomore Jana Hainey (Raymore, Mo,) entered the game in the seventh and was credited with the loss (10-3). Hainey entered the game after junior Stacy Delaney (Freeland, Mich.) hurled six complete innings and struck out four batters, forcing nine fly outs and four ground outs.
Missouri will travel to St. Louis to take on the Bilikins in a mid-week doubleheader set for Wednesday, April 9. Game one will begin at 4:30 p.m. (CT).