No. 13/16 Missouri Squeaks by Kansas Softball

March 23, 2011

Box Score |

LAWRENCE, Kan. –

Game 2 Box Score in PDF Format Get Acrobat Reader

Back-to-back two-out, solo home runs by Liz Kocon and Mariah Montgomery gave the University of Kansas softball team a 5-4 lead but a two-run homer by No. 13/16 Missouri in the sixth inning pushed the Tigers to a 6-5 win in Wednesday’s nightcap. MU swept the doubleheader after posting a 3-2 win in game one.

Kansas fell to 26-5 overall and 0-2 in Big 12 Conference play, while Missouri improved to 25-3 (2-0 Big 12) with the sweep.

Twice KU fought back to overcome a deficit in game two. The Tigers used a two-run home run in the opening frame to jump out to a quick lead but the Jayhawks responded in the bottom of the inning when sophomore Maggie Hull roped a bases loaded triple down the right field line to clear the diamond and give KU a 3-2 edge.

Missouri plated a pair of runs in the third inning with the help of back-to-back doubles but the lead was short-lived. Kansas battled back as Kocon and Montgomery each hit a solo round-tripper in the fifth.

KU’s 5-4 lead would not hold however, as Missouri led off the sixth inning with a walk and then cranked a two-run shot over the center field wall to claim a 6-5 lead it would not relinquish.

Missouri used pitching ace Chelsea Thomas over the final two innings to seal the Tigers’ win. Thomas, who limited KU to just four hits in game one, allowed no hits and one walk in her two innings from the circle.

Senior pitcher Allie Clark (10-3) entered in the fifth inning for freshman starter Kristin Martinez when the Jayhawks took its 5-4 lead but suffered the loss after MU’s game-winning home run in the sixth, her only allowed hit in three innings of work.

KU is back on the road this weekend when it travels to No. 8/10 Texas, March 26-27, for a two-game conference series.

Game 1 Box Score in PDF Format Get Acrobat Reader

Despite scoring two runs in the bottom of the fifth inning Kansas softball’s rally fell just short as the Jayhawks fell 3-2 to No. 13/16 Missouri in the first game of a doubleheader Wednesday in KU’s home and Big 12 Conference opener.

The Tigers struck first scoring two runs in the top of the third frame with back-to-back solo home runs. Then, in the top of the fifth, MU loaded the bases with a single and two walks before senior pitcher Allie Clark delivered a third walk as Missouri went ahead 3-0.

Sophomore Maggie Hull broke up a perfect game from MU’s Chelsea Thomas with a single down the left field line. Hull advanced to second when Ashley Newman’s grounder to third base was fumbled in the next play.

A single up the middle from junior Marissa Ingle plated Hull to cut KU’s deficit to 3-1. Freshman Laura Vickers then came in to pinch hit and proceeded to hit a shot back up the middle off Thomas’ glove to plate Newman from third. Vickers is 3-for-5 as pinch hitter this season. Unfortunately Thomas fanned sophomore Alex Jones for out number three stranding two base runners. Thomas finished with 11 strikeouts in the contest.

Sophomore Julie Jenkins, who was pinch running for Montgomery, was left on second in the bottom of the seventh inning as Missouri hung on for the win.

Clark tossed all seven innings falling to 10-2 from the circle. The three runs scored were the first tallies she has given up in six appearances.