University of Missouri
Northwestern
No. 3 Tigers Claw Past Wildcats, 5-1
3/21/2010 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 21, 2010
Box Score
COLUMBIA, Mo. - Backed by another stellar performance by sophomore pitcher Chelsea Thomas, the No. 3 Missouri Tigers closed out the Demarini Invitational with a 5-1 victory over Northwestern. After going scoreless in the first, Missouri scored a single run in each inning the rest of the way.
Thomas (12-1) went the distance, scattering four hits and four walks across the seven innings. She struck out 13 Wildcats batters and allowed just one run. Thomas has now struck out double-digit batters in each of her last four starts. She also surpassed last year's strikeout total already. Last she set down 116 batters during the season, and in just 14 appearances this year she has 123 strikeouts.
After reaching base on a fielder's choice in the fourth inning, junior Rhea Taylor swiped second base for her 110th career stolen base, tying the all-time school record. Taylor is 17-for-18 in stolen bases on the year and 110-for-118 in her career.
Junior Marla Schweisberger hit her second home run of the weekend, and team-leading fifth of the season, while driving in two runs at the plate.
Playing their third game in two days inside the Devine Pavilion, the Tigers got on the board first with Schweisberger's home run in the bottom of the second, which was crushed to deep right-center field and off the 1973 Sun Bowl banner to give the Tigers a 1-0 lead.
Schweisberger delivered the second run in the following inning on a sacrifice fly in the third, driving home senior Michaele Vock, who doubled to lead off the frame.
Junior Shana White kicked off the fourth with a walk, and advanced to second on a wild pitch and third on a sacrifice bunt. Senior Gina Schneider then plated White on an RBI single to left-center, driving home her fourth RBI of the week.
White drew a walk in the bottom of the fifth with the bases loaded, extending the Tiger lead to 4-0. Freshman Jenna Marston doubled to left-center to lead off the inning, and scored following three straight walks.
In the bottom of the sixth, Taylor singled with one out on a perfectly placed drag bunt. She moved to second on a groundout to short, and advanced to third and scored on back-to-back wild pitches.
Northwestern had two solid chances to score, but failed to put together a major rally.
In the top of the second, the Wildcats loaded the bases with just one out, but Thomas buckled down and got the next two batters on strike outs, one looking and one swinging. In the sixth, Thomas walked the first two batters, and allowed an infield single to load the bases with no outs. After a ground out drove in a run, Thomas induced a pop out on the infield and a fly out to right to end the threat.
The No. 3 ranked Tigers will open up conference play next Saturday, March 27, as they take on the nationally-ranked Oklahoma Sooners in Norman, Okla.
