Missouri softball keeps momentum rolling

The Tigers swept four games in their home-opening weekend.

By Zach Mink

Published March 9, 2010

The No. 3 Tiger softball team continued its success this season at the Missouri Breast Cancer Awareness Tournament.

The Tigers went 4-0 on the weekend, winning two of the four games by the run-rule. Missouri improved its overall record to 12-2 and extended its winning steak to 10 games.

Sophomore pitcher Chelsea Thomas started the tournament with a bang for Missouri, throwing her third career no-hitter against St. Louis University. Thomas went all seven innings, surrendering only one walk and striking out nine. The sophomore improved her record to 7-1 on the year. Thomas stuck to her usual routine, despite pitching against a lower-quality team.

"The key for me was really just mixing up pitches," Thomas said. "For unranked teams, our goal is to get ahead of the batters, but you have to go into every game with the same mentality."

Junior designated player Marla Schweisberger led the way on offense, plating three on a home run in the first inning.

Throughout the rest of the tournament, the Missouri freshmen took charge, both offensively and on the mound.

Freshman pitcher and first baseman Lindsey Muller had a day to remember against Southeast Missouri State in game two. Muller powered the Tigers on both sides of the ball, throwing a complete game shutout as well as going 3-for-4 with a home run and four RBIs in the 13-0 rout.

Coach Ehren Earleywine was pleased to see Muller succeed after her struggles early on.

"I'm really happy for Lindsey, because this fall we had her touted as someone who was going to hit in the middle of our lineup, but she struggled offensively and really went backwards for a while," Earleywine said. "For her to get into the mix and work her way back into the lineup took persistence, and she never gave up."

Muller noticed her struggles in the beginning in the season but feels she is starting to improve.

"Starting off with ranked teams like Alabama and Arizona I pinch hit, and the movement was way better than in high school," Muller said. "But now I'm starting to adjust more and more to it, and I'm just relaxing and trying to have fun."

Freshmen led the way in game three as well, with third basemen Nicole Hudson and shortstop Jenna Marston going a combined 4-for-5 with 5 RBIs to seal the 8-0 run-rule victory over Missouri State. Sophomore pitcher Kristin Nottelmann came just short of a perfect game, giving up one hit and earning the win with a complete game shutout.

Earleywine used game four as a chance to get many reserves an opportunity for some playing time. Using only four regular starters, Missouri still easily overcame UM-Kansas City, winning 9-3.

The offense was lead by Marston and Schweisberger, who combined for four hits and seven RBIs on the night, including a home run by Marston in the sixth inning. Nottelmann picked up her second win of the tournament in relief of senior Jana Hainey.

"Kristin pitched well," Earleywine said. "The main thing against a team like UMKC is to just throw strikes and not give them extra outs, and she came out and did just that."

The Tigers will try to extend their winning streak at 3 p.m. March 10 against Northern Iowa.