Feb. 21, 2010
Game One Box Score | Game Two Box Score
TUCSON, Ariz. - The No. 6/5 Missouri softball team earned a hard-fought split in Sunday's doubleheader with No. 2 Arizona, improving their record to 3-2 on the season. After dropping the first game by a 5-0 margin, the Tigers bounced back in impressive fashion in game two, defeating the Wildcats by a score of 10-5 for Arizona's first loss of the season.
This marked the first time Arizona has given up 10 or more runs in the regular season since March 18, 2007, against then-No. 6 Oklahoma.
Sophomore pitcher Chelsea Thomas earned the win in game two after taking the loss in game one, moving her record to 3-1 on the campaign.
Offensively, Mizzou got two RBIs from four different players. Juniors Marla Schweisberger and Megan Christopher plated two apiece, as did freshman Nicole Hudson and sophomore Ashley Fleming. Christopher went 3-3 with three singles and a walk, while Schweisberger singled twice and homered in four at-bats.
Missouri jumped on Arizona early in game two, taking advantage of numerous fielding mistakes by the Wildcats. Junior Rhea Taylor led off the game by reaching first on a wild pitch following a strikeout, and promptly stole second base. Two batters later, Hudson reached on a fielder's choice. On a ground ball to the shortstop, Taylor took off for third base and got caught in a run down. On her way back to second, she avoided the tag, giving MU runners on first and second and just one out. Christopher singled to left, driving home the first run of the game, and advanced to second on the left fielder's fielding error. Fleming drove in a run and reached on a fielder's choice, while Christopher scored the third run of the frame on a throwing error by the catcher. A two-run home run by Schweisberger capped the inning, putting the Tigers up 5-0.
Arizona hit their third home run of the day in the bottom of the first to make it 5-2, but the Tigers answered right back with two of their own, scoring all with two outs in the top of the second. Freshman Jenna Marston took a two out walk, and after Hudson singled her over to second, Christopher drove in her second run of the day with an RBI single, and Fleming doubled in another run, making it 7-2.
Mizzou kept pouring it on the third, adding three more runs to their total, all coming with two outs. Senior Gina Schneider reached on a fielder's choice for the second out of the inning and stole second base. Taylor hit a grounder to first base and beat the fielder to the bag for an infield single, advancing Schneider to third. Schneider and Taylor were plated on a double by Marston, who then scored on Hudson's second single of the game.
The Wildcats fought back in the bottom of the fifth, plating three runs to avoid the run-rule and cut Missouri's lead to 10-5. However, sophomore Kristin Nottelmann pitched scoreless sixth and seventh innings, preserving the game for the Tigers.
In game one, the Arizona Wildcats took advantage of some wildness by MU's pitchers. Thomas issued two walks in the first inning, and Wildcat Baillie Kirker crushed a three run home run to right-center, giving the Cats a 3-0 lead.
Senior Jana Hainey relieved Thomas after 1.2 IP and sent down the first four she faced before issuing a leadoff walk in the bottom of the fourth. Once again it was Kirker who dealt the damage, this time belting one down the left field line and out for her second home run of the game.
Taylor led off the game for Missouri with a walk and a stolen base, but was stranded after three straight strikeouts to end the inning.
The Tigers put together another threat in their half of the fourth, but again came up empty. Christopher walked to lead off the frame, and advanced to third on Fleming's single into right-center. However, Fleming was caught trying to steal second and junior Catherine Lee lined out to second to end the inning.
Mizzou had another scoring chance in the sixth, as Marston drew a leadoff walk and Hudson was hit by pitch to start the inning. However, Arizona's Kenzie Fowler was once again able to come out of the inning unscathed, getting a fielder's choice and a pop out before Fleming was robbed of extra bases, as her red-hot line drive was run down by Arizona's right fielder Karissa Buchanan.
No. 6/5 Missouri will be back in action next weekend, when they'll play five games in three days at the 2010 NFCA Leadoff Classic, held in Columbus, Ga. Stay tuned to mutigers.com for more information.