March 4, 2009
Columbia, Mo. - Playing in its second home doubleheader of the season, the 12th-ranked Missouri softball team split its series with SIUE, winning game one, 2-0, before falling to the Cougars in game two, 2-0. Missouri now sits at 14-3 on the season and will use the remainder of the week to prepare for its four games at the All-Missouri Breast Cancer Awareness Tournament held in Springfield, Mo., March 6-8.
Tiger freshman Chelsea Thomas (Pleasantville, Iowa) collected the win in game one and improves to 6-2 on the year with a 0.95 ERA. Thomas closed out the game, her sixth complete game of the year and fifth solo shutout, by holding SIUE to only three hits.
Starting game two, senior Stacy Delaney (Freeland, Mich.) took the loss after allowing the go-ahead runs on base in the top of the sixth inning. Delaney was relieved in the sixth by left-handed hurler Jana Hainey (Peculiar, Mo.). Together, the Tiger duo gave up six hits. Delaney struck out seven batters before exiting the game.
Missouri scored both of its runs of game one in the bottom of the third inning. Sophomore Kathryn Poet (Tujunga, Calif.) reached base on a one out double to centerfield and scored on freshman first baseman Ashley Fleming's (Silex, Mo.) first career home run. The yard ball went sailing over the fence in right center. Holding the Cougars scoreless, Thomas struck out six and forced 12 groundouts to secure Missouri's 14th win of the season.
Between the two games, the Tigers left 16 runners on base, 12 of whom were in scoring position.
Redshirt junior Gina Schneider (Liberty, Mo.) had a solid showing at the plate, finishing the two-game series with a .500 average that included a hard hit double down the left field line in the bottom of the third inning of game one. All three of Schneider's hits made their way to left field, her first, a single down the left field line, and her third a single to left field.
The Tigers will open play at the All-Missouri Breast Cancer Awareness Tournament Friday, March 6 in a 2 p.m. (CT) game against UMKC. Over the course of three days, Missouri will pair with UMKC, SEMO, Saint Louis and host school Missouri State. The Tigers are 149-19 in the combined all-time series with its upcoming four competitors.