Sports shorts

By John Montesantos and Zach Mink

Published April 16, 2010

Softball recuperates from weekend sweep

The Tigers bounced back from a weekend sweep at Texas with a 3-0 record against Southern Illinois and Southern Illinois-Edwardsville this week.

Missouri's bats came to life against Southern Illinois-Edwardsville in game one of a double-header Tuesday, winning 11-1 by run rule in five innings. The Tigers got on the board early with three runs in the first inning. Freshman shortstop Jenna Marston pushed across the first run with a sacrifice fly. Two batters later, freshman first baseman Lindsey Muller scored two on a single up the middle.

Missouri broke the game open in the fifth inning with five runs on four hits, including a three-run homer by junior outfielder Rhea Taylor, her third of the season. Senior pitcher Jana Hainey went the distance for the Tigers, allowing only one run on four hits.

Tiger sophomore pitcher Kristin Nottelmann blanked the Cougars in game two, throwing a complete game shutout to earn her ninth win of the season. Missouri was the first to get on the board, plating three in the second inning. The game went out of reach in the seventh as the Tigers scored two runs behind doubles from junior outfielder Lisa Simmons and freshman third baseman Nicole Hudson. The Tigers earned the victory 6-0.

Missouri then traveled to play Southern Illinois for its final game before returning home. After an early run by the Salukis in the first inning, Missouri would get on the board in the third, scoring four runs on four hits. The Tigers offense continued to wear down the Salukis, scoring two runs in the fourth and fifth innings, capped by a two-run homer by Hudson, her fifth of the year. The Tigers won by a final score of 9-2, earning their 30th win of the season. Nottelmann secured the win, her 10th of the year.

Missouri resumes conference play at home this weekend with two games against Texas Tech. Game one begins 2 p.m. Saturday.

Baseball falls to Missouri State

The baseball team traveled Wednesday to Springfield to take on Missouri State. The Tigers returned home with a tally in the loss column after a ninth inning rally by the Bears gave them the 5-4 win. Missouri falls to 18-14 on the year with the non-conference loss.

The Bears trailed for the majority of the game after the Tigers plated two in the second. Freshmen drove in both runs, one off a single by right fielder Dane Opel and another on a bunt from center fielder Blake Brown.

The first action for Missouri State came on a solo shot from freshman left fielder Keenen Maddox. Missouri quickly answered back with a blast from sophomore outfielder Russell LaFleur to restore the two-run lead.

A flurry of scoring late made it 4-3 Tigers heading into the bottom of the ninth. Sophomore right-hander Jeff Emens stepped in to close it out, but the Bears had other plans. Emens gave up a single before yielding a two-run homer to Maddox.

Joining Emens in the struggling bullpen were juniors Tyler Clark and Phil McCormick. The two combined for one earned run and a walk in less than an inning of combined work.

Junior lefty Jeff Scardino put in six innings and left the mound with the lead, but the loss granted him the no decision. Scardino struck out a season-high five batters and allowed two hits and two runs.

At the plate for the Tigers, senior first basemen Aaron Senne extended his hitting streak to 17 games with a single in the third. Junior third baseman Brett Nicholas also kept his string going with his eighth straight game with a hit.

Missouri returns to conference play and its home stadium this weekend against Oklahoma State. Game one of the series starts 6 p.m. Friday.