March 23, 2011
LAWRENCE, Kan. – The No. 13 Tigers won their 20th and 21st straight games in Wednesday's doubleheader sweep over Border Showdown rival Kansas, breaking a 16-year-old school record for most consecutive wins set by the 1995 squad who won 20 straight games. Mizzou is now 24-3 on the season and 2-0 in the Big 12.
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No. 13 Mizzou 3, Kansas 2 |
Time: 1:38 |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | F | |
| MIZZOU | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Kansas | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Pitching | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO |
| W - Thomas (10-2) | 7.0 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 11 |
| L - Clark (10-2) | 7.0 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 2 |
| Hitting Leaders | AB | R | H | RBI | BB | HR |
| MU - Christopher | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| MU - Vock | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
No. 13 Mizzou 6, Kansas 5 |
Time: 1:52 Att.: 946 |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | F | |
| MIZZOU | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 |
| Kansas | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| Pitching | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO |
| W - Nottelmann (11-0) | 5.0 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
| L - Clark (10-3) | 3.0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| S - Thomas (3) | 2.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| Hitting Leaders | AB | R | H | RBI | BB | HR |
| MU - Fleming | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| MU - Lee | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
In game one, the Tigers fought off a late Jayhawk rally to hang on to a 3-2 victory. Chelsea Thomas won her 10th straight start, going the distance while allowing four hits, two runs – zero earned and striking out 11.
Tied 0-0 in the top of the third, seniors Megan Christopher and Abby Vock broke the tie with back-to-back home runs, giving each of them two on the season. It was the second time in the past five days that Missouri has hit back-to-back homers, as Catherine Lee and Nicole Hudson accomplished the feat last Friday against North Dakota State.
A bases loaded walk by Marla Schweisberger in the top of the fifth extended the lead to 3-0. Jenna Marston singled to start the inning, with Ashley Fleming and Catherine Lee taking one out walks.
Thomas took a perfect game into the bottom of the fifth before it was ended on a two-out single by Maggie Hull. The Jayhawks would go on to add two runs in the frame following a fielding error and two straight RBI singles.
Kansas got a leadoff single in the seventh but Thomas got two straight pop outs before ending the game in a strikeout. The Tiger ace has recorded double-digit strikeouts on seven separate occasions this year.
Marston led all Tigers with two hits, while Vock and Christopher each added an RBI on their back-to-back home runs. It was the second time since Friday that Missouri had back-to-back home runs, as Catherine Lee and Nicole Hudson accomplished the feat against North Dakota State.
Missouri completed the sweep with a 6-5 victory in the second game that saw five lead changes. Kristin Nottelmann picked up the win, improving her to 11-0 on the season. She gave up five runs – two earned, struck out five and walked two.
Ashley Fleming hit her sixth home run of the season in the first inning – a two run blast – to give the Tigers the early advantage. Fleming has 31 RBI on the year to go with her six blasts, edging closer to last year's total of nine homers and 44 driven in.
The Jayhawks took their first lead of the day in the bottom half of the inning, scoring three unearned runs on a bases clearing triple with two outs. Kansas got a leadoff walk and another with one out, and after a pop out, loaded the bases on a fielding error by the Tigers before Mariah Montgomery roped one right down the right field line.
Missouri regained the lead with a pair of runs in the top of the third, getting RBI doubles from Marston and Maddison Ruggeberg. Rhea Taylor legged out an infield single to start things off, and Marston scored her with a liner into the gap in left center. Marston would move over to third on a fly out to center, and then scored on Ruggeberg's double, as she sent a fly ball over the head of the right fielder to make it 4-3.
Two straight home runs on the bottom of the fifth by the Jayhawks put them back ahead of Mizzou. With two outs, Liz Kocon delivered a 2-0 pitch deep over the right field wall, and Mariah Montgomery followed with a blast to dead center, putting Kansas up 5-4.
Lee belted a two run home run in the next half inning to give Missouri the lead once again. With a runner on first, Lee sent the 0-1 pitch over the right-center field fence to make it 6-5 Tigers.
Thomas entered the game in the sixth inning, looking to preserve the lead for the Tigers. She struck out two batters and worked around a leadoff walk in her first inning of action. She finished off her third save of the year with another pair of strikeouts in the seventh.
Lee and Fleming each had a hit and drove home two, while Ruggeberg added two hits and an RBI. Marston doubled, scored and plated one as well.
Missouri continues their 12-game road trip with their first Big 12 weekend series of the year when they take on Texas Tech this weekend in Lubbock.