March 14, 2009
Myrtle Beach, S.C. - Improving to 22-3 on the season, the 14th-ranked Missouri softball team topped Michigan State, 10-4 in eight innings, and No. 15 North Carolina, 9-6, in its second and third games of the Coastal Carolina Tournament. The Tigers are now 3-0 at the east coast tournament and will meet with North Carolina for a second game on Sunday, March 15, beginning at 10 a.m. (CT).
Freshman Kristin Nottelmann (Fenton, Mo.) was credited with the game one win, relieving starting Jana Hainey (Peculiar, Mo.) after throwing 5.1 innings. Holding a 4-2 advantage heading into the bottom of the sixth frame, Hainey gave up a two run home run to tie the game at four. Nottelmann hurled the final 2.2 innings holding the Spartans to no runs on three hits. Hainey and Nottelmann combined for nine strike outs in Missouri's third extra inning game of the year.
Missouri scored six runs in the top of the eighth to improve to 3-2 all time against Michigan State. Senior Lindsey Ubrun (Riverside, Calif.) provided Missouri with the go-ahead run after being placed on second as per the international tie breaker rules. Ubrun advanced to third on Andee Allen's (Barnhart, Mo.) single to center field later scoring after Kathryn Poet (Tujunga, Calif.) reached base on balls and Katie Milles (Saint Louis, Mo.) reached on a fielder's choice.
Junior Julie Silver (Chesterfield, Mo.) scored Missouri's first run of the game. Tripling to right center in the top of the third, Silver reached home on designated player Marla Schweisberger's (Raytown, Mo.) sacrifice fly to centerfield. Schweisberger had two RBI in the game also driving in Silver from third in the top of the eighth.
Making her 12th start of the season, freshman Chelsea Thomas (Pleasantville, Iowa) threw her 10th complete game, to fend off UNC, 9-6. The right-handed pitcher was credited with five strike outs and 14 ground outs, allowing only three earned runs on seven hits. Thomas is 10-2 on the year with a 1.00 ERA.
The Tigers jumped out to an early lead over the Tar Heels scoring four runs in the top of the first inning. Senior Micaela Minner (Sanger, Texas), hit her first three run homer of the year sending leadoff batter Rhea Taylor (Buford, Ga.) home from second and Allen from first. The homer is Minner's third of the season and 35th of her career. Redshirt junior Gina Schneider (Liberty, Mo.) scored the fourth run of the inning. With two outs on the board, Schneider reached base on balls and advanced home on outfielder Shana White's (Columbia, Mo.) single to centerfield.
Minner wasn't the only Tiger player to hit a home run off of UNC pitcher Lisa Norris. Batting cleanup, freshman first baseman Ashley Fleming (Silex, Mo.) powered a two run home run in the second inning increasing Missouri's lead to 6-0.
North Carolina pulled within two in the bottom of the fifth inning, but were held to only two hits in the final two innings of play.