Errors Prove Costly For KU As Missouri Sweeps Doubleheader
April 16, 2008
COLUMBIA, Mo. –
Despite two home runs from sophomore Amanda Jobe in the nightcap, <?xml:namespace prefix=”st1″ ns=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags”?>Missouri used a walk-off RBI double in the bottom of the eighth inning to defeat Kansas softball 6-5 and complete the series sweep. The Tigers (39-12, 6-4 Big 12) topped the Jayhawks (30-13, 4-6 Big 12) 7-2 earlier in the day.<?xml:namespace prefix=”o” ns=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office”?>
Junior Dougie McCaulley connected for a team-high three hits in the doubleheader, while Jobe and freshman Liz Kocon also had multiple hits with two base hits and three RBIs a piece on the day.
The Jayhawks return to the diamond this weekend, April 19-20, when they travel to College Station, Texas to take on No. 4 Texas A&M.
Game 1 Box Score 
Game 1
In Missouri’s first at-bat, Kansas pitcher Val George struckout two batters, while a pop-up to third baseman Val Chapple ended the inning but not before the Tigers were able to score four runs with the help of back-to-back doubles and a single.
Kansas finally put its first runner on base in the top of the third, a double by Stevie Crisosto, followed by a McCaulley two-bagger, her eighth of the season, to score Crisosto and cut the Tigers’ lead to 4-1.
After a two-run double by Missouri in the third inning, freshman Allie Clark came in to pitch for George and limited the Tigers’ to just one hit for the remainder of the contest, a solo homer in the fifth.
Kocon ended a three-game dry spell and added a run to the scoreboard for Kansas with her fourth home run of the season to leadoff the fourth inning, but KU failed to produce any more runs as MU’s Jen Bruck kept the Jayhawks off the bases for the final three innings except for a single by McCaulley in the fifth.
Bruck led the Tigers to a 7-2 victory over Kansas in game one.
Game 2 Box Score
Game 2
Despite coming from behind to tie the game two different times, Missouri used an RBI double in the bottom of the eighth to tab a 6-5 victory in the nightcap and sweep the doubleheader.
Heading into the bottom of the eighth, both teams remained tied at 5-5. Missouri put the winning run on base from a fielding error by Jobe at first base. Pinch hitter Meredith Nash then stepped up to the plate with a walk-off double hit to deep left field to score the game-winner.
Jobe helped the Jayhawks tie the score the first time at three-all in the fourth inning with her second home run of the game and team-leading eighth of the season to score two.
The Tigers quickly claimed another lead in the bottom of the fifth inning, but an error by MU’s centerfielder in the sixth provided the opportunity for KU to tie the game a second time. Jobe led off the inning with a walk before Chapple reached first on a dropped fly ball in left centerfield, allowing both runners to take an extra base. With runners on second and third, Kocon came up big at the plate with a hard-hit single through the right side to score both runners and lock the game at five-all.
Freshman Allie Clark, who came in to pitch for Sarah Vertelka in the opening frame, went 4.1 innings for KU, her longest outing since completing the same on March 9. Clark also fanned five batters, one shy of her career high and the most since striking out five on March 2. Junior Val George entered for Clark in the fifth inning and suffered the loss as she dropped to 16-5 from the circle this season.
