Analysis: Softball prepares for postseason

The Tigers averaged 10 runs a game in the weekend sweep of Baylor.

By Zach Mink

Published May 4, 2010

The Missouri offense has been hot and cold throughout most of this season. After an impressive performance this weekend, the Tigers are hoping the heat wave is here to stay.

Although pitching has been key for most of the season, the Tigers' bats came alive against Baylor this weekend. Coming off a 5-0 win against the Central Methodist Eagles that coach Ehren Earleywine called "embarrassing," the Tiger offense was eager for redemption, and Earleywine said the Tigers got just that.

"Our offense really stepped up," Earleywine said. "If you hypothetically say we call all nine players cylinders, I'd say we're hitting on about five right now. But early in the season it was only two or three. If we ever got seven, eight, even nine players going, you're talking about a legitimate team that can go to a world series even without pitching."

A big part of the offense's success this weekend was due to the hot bat of sophomore first baseman Ashley Fleming. Fleming hit her eighth home run of the season in game two against Baylor and went 4-for-6 with four RBIs in the series. Fleming has seen the rest of the lineup ignite around her recent success.

"Everyone's coming together," Fleming said. "One through nine, we are really deep, and we're all producing offensively. In the beginning of the year, some people were struggling while others were doing well, but now we're all coming together as a team."

Although this weekend was a positive turn for the offense, the pitching in game two left much to be desired. Sophomore pitcher Kristin Nottelmann and senior pitcher Jana Hainey combined to give up six runs against Baylor.

Before taking on Iowa State on April 28, the Tigers hadn't given up six runs since Feb. 28 against Radford. But in the last five games, the Tiger pitching staff has given up six or more runs on three different occasions.

The role reversal between the offense and the defense is not exactly the game plan Earleywine wants heading into postseason play.

"When you get those tough, top D-1 pitchers, I don't care how good you're hitting,” Earleywine said. “They will get you more times then you get them. I don't think you go into those games thinking you are going to score 11 runs, but instead thinking about getting three or four and hoping that your pitching does a better job than it's been doing lately."

Hainey, who alongside Nottelmann stepped up in the absence of sophomore ace Chelsea Thomas, was disappointed in her pitching performance in possibly her final game at home this year.

Although Hainey knew improvements could be made, the senior was still confident the Tigers could make a run in the postseason.

"Our bats are coming along great, and that's huge for us," Hainey said. "We've grown as a team and a program. Our expectations are higher, and we don't just want to get to the College World Series. We want to win it. We're just trying to go for our goals and win out the rest of the season."