May 15, 2010

Box Score

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. - The No. 5 seed Missouri Tigers recorded their second upset of the day in an 11-6 offensive explosion over No. 1 seed Texas on Saturday evening.  The Tigers advance to the Big 12 Championship game for the fifth time in school history and second time in as many years.

Rhea Taylor went a perfect 5-for-5 at the plate with four walks, a triple, and a Big 12 Championship record three stolen bases.  Taylor drove in four runs and scored three times.  Jenna Marston went 3-for-4 with one run and four driven in, included three on a home run in the second.  Nicole Hudson picked up two hits and drove in two runs on a home run.

Kristin Nottelmann went the distance, allowing five runs on eight hits.  The sophomore struck out six batters in her 19th win of the season.

Missouri was given a golden chance in the top of the first, but came up empty.  Taylor led off with a single, and with one out swiped second base.  Back-to-back walks to Jenna Marston and Ashley Fleming loaded the bases, but Texas' Blaire Luna worked out of the jam with strikeouts to Nicole Hudson and Lindsey Muller.

Texas went up on a solo home run by Taylor Hoagland in the bottom half of the first.  After a one out walk, two straight singles with two outs scored another run.

The Tigers took their first lead of the game with a four-run second.  Ashlie Ortega took a leadoff walk, and advanced to second on a single by Marla Schweisberger.  After a sacrifice bunt by Abby Vock moved the runners up a base, Taylor singled through the left side, scoring the first run of the game for Missouri.  Two batters letter, Marston connected on an opposite field three-run home run, giving the Tigers the 4-2 advantage.

Mizzou increased their lead with a run in the top of the fourth.  Taylor led off the inning with her third single of the game, and then proceeded to swipe second base for the third time.  Catherine Lee walked, and Marston drove home her fourth run of the game with a single up the middle, scoring Taylor to make it 5-2.

Missouri tacked on some insurance with a two-out rally in the top of the fifth.  With no one on base, Vock slapped a single over the shortstop's head for a base hit.  She then stole second base, and then scored on Taylor's fourth hit of the game, a triple into the right-center field gap.  A throwing error on the play allowed Taylor to score and pushed the Tiger lead to 7-2.

Texas rolled right back into it in the bottom half, however, getting three runs to get back into the game.  The Longhorns scored all three runs with two outs, getting a walk and back-to-back singles to plate one, while a double two batters later brought home two more.

The Tigers weren't done, though, tacking two back on to their lead in the top of the sixth.  A one-out walk to Fleming set up Hudson's two-run home run, her eighth of the year, to extend the Tiger lead to 9-5.  Two walks and a single loaded the bases with two outs, setting up Taylor's fifth hit of the game, a two-run single that made it 11-5.

The Horns scored one in the seventh but Missouri shut the door to secure the victory.  With 16 combined RBI, Missouri and Texas tied the record for most runs driven home in a Big 12 Championship game.

Missouri looks to defend their title tomorrow in the Championship game against the No. 2 seed Oklahoma Sooners. The Tigers and Sooners split their series earlier this season in Norman, Okla.  The Championship game will begin at Noon CT and will be aired on Fox Sports Net.