March 18, 2009
Columbia, MO - The 13th-ranked Missouri Tiger softball team pushed its record to 25-3 after sweeping their doubleheader against the Western Illinois University Westerwinds. As storm clouds loomed, the Tigers took the first game 2-1 in a pitcher's duel, and finished the second game 13-1 in five innings.
Senior Stacy Delaney (Freeland, Mich.) got the start in the circle for the first game and dueled hard with Western Illinois' Kamren Ferguson, recording six strikeouts and giving up only two hits. She got credit for an earned run that would tie the game in the seventh when WIU's Erin Schlotfeldt hit a sacrifice grounder off of relief pitcher Kristin Nottelman (Fenton, MO) and Colleen Biebel came around to score. With the game tied 1-1 heading into the bottom of the seventh, the Tigers needed a heroic effort to sink the Westerwinds.
Senior Micaela Minner (Sanger, TX) gave the Tigers exactly what they needed, as she followed Gina Schneider's (Liberty, MO) triple with a single to left center to win the game. Minner and Schneider were the key's to Missouri's success in the first game, as they both went 2-4 at the plate and recorded one RBI a piece. Schneider's tally came on her first home run of the season, a shot to left field in the fifth inning. Nottelman would get credit for the win and improves to 5-0 on the season.
Missouri's bats awakened in the second game of the doubleheader, as the Tigers stormed to a 13-1 five-inning victory. The Tigers hit four homeruns in the game and racked up 13 total hits in five innings. Missouri shot out to a 6-0 lead in the first inning, as six of the first seven batters reached base and senior Lindsey Ubrun (Riverside, Calif.) homered to left center.
Junior Jana Hainey (Raymore, MO) started and thoroughly handled the Westerwinds, retiring the first three batters in the first inning and finishing the game with four strikeouts. She gave up her only run in the fifth inning, when the Tigers were already out to a comfortable lead. The victory makes her 6-0 on the season.
Minner would steal the show as she hit two homeruns to right field in the second and third innings. The Tigers scored four runs off five hits in the third, and pushed their lead to 12-0. In the fourth, sophomore Megan Christopher (Wright City, MO) got in on the action with a home run deep to left field. Western Illinois would get on the board in the top of the fifth inning, as Ashley Campbell scored on a Nikki Marinec double.
Minner would finish the game 3-3 at the plate, with five RBI and three runs scored. Freshman Ashley Fleming (Silex, MO) added one run scored and two RBI going 2-3 on the game. Christopher went 2-3 at bat and tallied two runs scored and an RBI.
The Tigers begin conference play this Saturday, March 21, at University Field against the University of Texas Longhorns. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m.