March 18, 2010
Complete Game Notes 
| Demarini Invitational Schedule
The No. 3 ranked Missouri softball team (18-2) closes out their 15-game homestand this weekend when they host the Demarini Invitational, set to begin Friday, March 19 and conclude on Sunday, March 21. The Tigers are currently riding a 16-game winning streak, making them just four wins shy of tying the all-time record by a Missouri program. The 1995 Missouri team won 20 straight games, while the 2007 Tiger program won 19 straight. Mizzou will play two games on Friday, two on Saturday and one on Sunday.
A LOOK AT THE CARDINALS
Ball State enters the tournament riding an eight game winning streak, pushing their record to 15-5 overall. During that streak, the Cardinals have outscored their opponents by a 52-11 margin. Ball State is coached by Craig Nicholson, now in his third year with the program, and is assisted by Stephanie DeFeo and Lyndsay Mouse. As a team, Ball State has posted a .285 batting average this season.
Leading the way for the Cardinal offense is senior Jessie Ware, who is hitting .373 on the season with 13 extra base hits, including five doubles, six triples and two home runs. Her slugging percentage is .716, and she's a perfect 9-for-9 in stealing bases.
In the circle, senior Elizabeth Milian is far-and-away the Cardinals' ace. The righty is 11-1 this season in 13 appearances, posting a miniscule 0.54 ERA in 77.2 innings. She's thrown 11 complete games and six shutouts, while also recording a save. Milian has 111 of the team's 155 strikeouts this year, and has walked just 16 batters. Opponents are hitting .150 off of her this season.
MIZZOU vs. BALL STATE
The Tigers have won all five previous matchups against the Cardinals, dating back to 1985, when the two teams opened their season against each other. The Tigers won that matchup 2-1. Mizzou and BSU most recently played in 2005, where they met up three times over the course of the season. Missouri won by margins of 13-1, 10-0 and 15-7.
A LOOK AT THE EAGLES
Eastern Michigan has struggled this year, currently sitting at 5-9. They are riding a three game losing streak, falling to Michigan State, Florida A&M and Connecticut at the FAU Classic. They are guided eighth-year head coach Karen Baird and assisted by Eric Oakley and Ashley Strauss.
Junior Stacie Skodinski leads the Eagle offense, as she's put together a .361 batting average so far this year. She also posted team highs with a .489 on base percentage and a .556 slugging percentage.
Eastern Michigan's best performances in the circle this year have come from junior Jamie Melchert. Second on the team in appearances with seven, Melchert's record sits at 2-3, but she has a team-best 2.22 ERA. She has started three times and has gone the distance in all three games, and is leading the team with 30 strikeouts.
MIZZOU vs. EMU
Missouri holds a 3-1 all-time record against Eastern Michigan in their four matchups. The two teams have not faced off since 1994, where Mizzou won 5-0. The Eagles won the first-ever game between the two schools, beating Missouri 2-1 back in 1989. MU won 9-4 in 1992 and 1-0 in 1993.
A LOOK AT THE WILDCATS
After beginning the year with a No. 15 ranking in the preseason poll, Northwestern has struggled mightily, currently sitting at 9-10 on the season. Last weekend, the Cats went 2-2 at a tournament in Fullerton, Calif., beating Oregon State and UC Davis, but falling to North Carolina and Pacific. Northwestern is led by ninth year head coach Kate Drohan, and assisted by Carol Drohan and Tori Nyberg.
Offensively, the Wildcats have three batters hitting over .300, topped by sophomore Adrienne Monka's .383 average. Monka also leads the team with eight home runs, 15 runs scored, a .580 on base percentage and a .915 slugging percentage. As a team, Northwestern has hit 27 home runs this season, but is batting just .234.
Northwestern's top starter is senior Lauren Delaney, who has started 11 of the team's 19 games and registered a 2.45 ERA with a 4-6 record. Delaney has struck out 81 batters in 65.2 innings pitched. Freshman Meghan Lamberth has handled most of the relief duty for the Wildcats, appearing eight times out of the pen and twice as a starter. Lamberth's 1.80 ERA is best on the team, and she's put together a 2-2 record with one save.
MIZZOU vs. NORTHWESTERN
Missouri has had very little success against the Wildcats, as Northwestern holds a 3-0 edge over the Tigers in their all-time series. The two teams met in the 1982 season opener, with the Cats squeaking by Mizzou, 3-2. They wouldn't play again until 2007, when they met twice. Northwestern run-ruled the Tigers in both meetings, shutting out Mizzou by scores of 8-0 and 10-0.
A LOOK AT THE BEARS
Northern Colorado comes into the tournament with a 7-16 record, but as winners of four of their last seven. In those seven games, UNC knocked off Monmouth, St. John's, South Dakota State and Minnesota, but fell to No. 2 Arizona, Illinois-Chicago and Creighton. The Bears are coached by Jennifer Schunke, now in her fourth season, and assisted by Cristin Green and Mark Roberts.
Senior Jessie Schoepflin is one of three Bears hitting over .300 this season, and is third on the team in on base percentage (.422) and fourth in slugging percentage (.474). She's scored a team-high 18 runs and is 4-for-6 in stealing bases.
In the circle, Northern Colorado has struggled mightily, posting a team ERA of 8.42. They have struck out 80 batters, while walking 123 so far this season. They've allowed 191 runs in 141.1 innings pitched.
MIZZOU vs. NORTHERN COLORADO
The Tigers and Bears have played just one time, with Mizzou winning that game. The meeting came all the way back in 1984, with MU outlasting Northern Colorado, 2-1.
WHAT'S NEXT?
Following the Demarini Invitational, Missouri will hit the road again for the first time in almost a month and begin conference play. The Tigers open the Big 12 season in Norman, Okla., for a two-game set with the nationally-ranked Oklahoma Sooners. Game one between the two schools will be played on Saturday, March 27 at 2 p.m. CT, while the second game will take place on Sunday, March 28 at Noon CT.
TIGERS HOLD STRONG AT NO. 3
In the fifth week of the regular season rankings, the Missouri softball team held strong in both polls at No. 3 following their 4-0 week. In the NFCA poll, Mizzou again ranks third behind No. 1 Washington and No. 2 Arizona. Continuing their push towards the top of the rankings, the Tigers gained 18 points on the top two teams this week. Coming in 56 points behind No. 2 Arizona in last week's poll, Mizzou is now just 38 points behind the second-ranked spot. Missouri got the same result in the ESPN.com/USA Softball poll. The Tigers increased their margin over the No. 4 ranked team from 17 points to 21 points, and closed the gap on the top two squads. Down 47 last week to Washington and 25 to Arizona, Mizzou sits just 39 and 20 points behind the two programs, respectively. Both Washington and Arizona will compete at the Judi Garman Classic this weekend, while the Tigers host Wichita State for two and host the Demarini Invitational beginning on Friday and running through Sunday.
MIZZOU ADDS GAME WITH BSU
The Tigers and Ball State University will play twice at this coming weekend's Demarini Invitational, as announced Monday. The two teams will still play their originally scheduled meeting at 5 p.m. on Friday, March 19, and will now also play at 2 p.m. on Sunday, March 21 to close out the last day of the tournament.
THOMAS K'S CAREER HIGH
Sophomore pitcher Chelsea Thomas struck out a new career high 14 batters on Saturday against Illinois State. The righty from Iowa used her 14 strike outs to propel her to her ninth win of the season, improving her record to 9-1. Ten of Thomas' first 14 outs were recorded via the strikeout. Thomas' previous career high was 12, which she achieved against then-No. 2 Alabama in her second start of the season. The 14 strikeouts are tied for the most in a seven inning game by a Missouri pitcher since 2004. In 2008, Stacy Delaney struck out 14 against Boston University, while Erin Kalka achieved the same feat in 2004 against Stephen F. Austin. Kalka struck out the most batters total in a game after sitting down 25 hitters in a 14-inning marathon against Oklahoma State, also in 2004.
TRACKING TAYLOR
Entering this week of action, junior Rhea Taylor is quickly closing in on Missouri's all-time career stolen bases record. Her stolen base against Wichita State now puts her at 106 in her career, just four away from tying Julie Link's record of 110. Link played for the Tigers from 1986-89. Perhaps even more impressive, Taylor has been caught stealing just eight times in her career at Missouri, giving her a stolen base percentage of 93% (108-114).
With Taylor's three runs scored this past week, the Buford, Ga., native now sits in seventh all-time at 135 runs, and is three away from sixth. She also sits at 180 career hits, four away from moving into a tie for ninth, and her .526 career slugging percentage ranks her eighth all-time at Missouri.
TIGERS SWEEP SHOCKERS IN TWO
The No. 3 Missouri softball team (18-2) used 17 hits and 14 runs combined to sweep past Wichita State in Wednesday's double header, extending the Tiger win streak to 16 straight. Mizzou won the first game 8-0 in six innings, and the second 6-1.
Sophomore Ashley Fleming led the offensive attack, going 4-for-6 in the two games with two home runs and seven RBI. Fleming hit a two-run walk-off home run in game one to give the Tigers a run-rule victory, and then hit another two-run home run in her first at-bat of game two.
Sophomore Kristin Nottelmann threw four shutout innings in game one, giving up just one hit and one walk while striking out six to improve to 5-1 on the year.
Sophomore Chelsea Thomas picked up her tenth win of the season, as she pitched 5.2 innings in game two, allowing just two hits while recording 12 strikeouts. ey once again came in relief, this time pitching 1.1 innings and allowing one run.