Tiger softball grabs doubleheader win

By Greg Young

Published April 6, 2009

With freshman pitcher Chelsea Thomas' sore shoulder keeping her out for weeks at a time, one might think that Missouri's pitching would struggle against a solid Texas A&M team.

Apparently, no one passed the memo to senior pitcher Stacy Delaney.

Delaney, who pitched both games of the double header against the Aggies Sunday, allowed no runs in seven total innings as the Tigers easily beat Texas A&M in both games of a double header, winning the first game 8-0 and the second 9-1.

Delaney, who was named the Big 12 Pitcher of the Week last week, said she didn't change her pitching at all, despite knowing before the game she would likely be pitching both games in the double header.

Delaney pitched the entire first game and the first two innings in the second game before she was relieved by freshman pitcher Kristin Nottelmann, who allowed the only run on an RBI groundout in the fifth inning.

"After the first game I was excited, I was feeling really good, I really felt that I could pitch another full game, it was good to get those couple of innings," Delaney said.

She considers herself the leader of the Tigers pitching staff since Thomas' injury.

"I'm going to do as much as I can to lead us through," Delaney said.

The No. 11 Tigers avenged Texas A&M's sweep of the Tigers last year. Missouri dominated in every category, but perhaps most surprising was the team's offensive efficiency, as the Missouri collected 17 runs on 16 hits. The Tigers hit five home runs and had 10 walks in the two games combined.

Missouri coach Ehren Earleywine mentioned the Tigers pressure and aggressiveness on the base paths as a key in the sweep.

"That's the style we have played and that's the style we will always play," Earleywine said. "That's Missouri softball."

Missouri also focused on playing both games strong. Many of the Tigers felt that their energy lacked in the second game of their doubleheader against Kansas, which resulted in their 4-1 loss after winning the first one 8-0.

"We've played single games that have been impressive but we haven't put two together yet," Earleywine said. "That was the big theme of the day."

In both games of the doubleheader, Missouri came out strong from the gate. In the two games combined, Missouri put up a total of 16 runs in the first three innings.

The first game offensively featured senior infielder Lindsey Ubrun going three for three, driving in three runs and scoring three times. Ubrun was a triple away from the cycle.

Missouri broke open the second game after a grand slam in the second inning from sophomore utility player Marla Schweisberger. Although she hit grand slams in high school, this was the first one she'd ever hit in college.

"It was very cool," Schweisberger said. "It being in Big 12 play makes it that much better."

The Tigers are now in second place in the Big 12 at 6-2 in the conference, one game behind Texas. Missouri next plays at home against Southern Illinois, then it plays a pair of games in Stillwater, Okla. against Oklahoma State, which is at 3-3 in the Big 12.

"I think we'd be lying to be saying that we don't check the standing, but that isn't our focus," Earleywine said. "When we take care of what we can control we are a pretty good softball team."