Sports Shorts

By Mike Bushnell

Published April 11, 2008

Softball sweeps Saint Louis

MU’s softball team got two important wins in its final non-conference series of the season, sweeping the Saint Louis Billikens 7-6 and 14-0 on Wednesday in St. Louis. In the two games, the Tigers hit five home runs, including a grand slam in the second game from senior first baseman Amanda Renth. In the first game, senior Jen Bruck threw 4 2/3 innings in relief, allowing just one run and earning the win as MU eked out a 7-6 victory. Sophomore Jana Hainey had allowed five runs, all earned, in the game’s first 2 1/3 innings before being pulled. The Tigers trailed 6-5 after the first three innings, but held the Billikens scoreless for the final four innings as they tacked on runs in the sixth and seventh innings to come from behind and win. Bruck hit a solo home run in the top of the seventh inning to win the game. In the second game Wednesday, the Tigers started strong with three runs in the first inning. Renth followed that up in the second inning by hitting the fifth grand slam of her career, putting the Tigers ahead 7-0. Junior pitcher Stacey Delaney started for MU and struck out five Billikens en route to a win.

Tom Botts Invitational this weekend

The track and field teams will host the 12th annual Tom Botts Invitational on Friday and Saturday, which will also feature Brigham Young University and Tulsa’s squads. The bad weather that has plagued the Mid-South all week already has cancelled the combined events. The BYU men come to Columbia ranked No. 8 in the nation. Field events are scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. Friday at Audrey J. Walton Stadium.

Hansbrough looking at MU

According to MU Athletics news release, Mississippi State basketball guard Ben Hansbrough, a Poplar Bluff native, is transferring and has Missouri on his list of potential new homes. Hansbrough, the brother of the consensus college player of the year, Tyler Hansbrough of North Carolina, started 28 games on a team that made the second round of the NCAA tournament. He averaged 10.5 points and 3.8 rebounds per game in 33 minutes 30 seconds. The one important snag on a potential transfer to MU is that the Tigers do not have any open scholarships. If rising senior forward Leo Lyons actually turns professional, as reports have said he might, a spot would open for Hansbrough. If Lyons returns for his senior year, it’s murky where a scholarship could come from. Wherever Hansbrough goes, he will have to spend the 2008-09 season on the bench due to NCAA transfer rules that require a player to sit out an entire season when an athlete switches schools.