It was a tale of two games with similar outcomes for the No. 14 Missouri softball team Saturday as the Tigers’ offense powered through two very different wins against Illinois and Illinois State. The Tigers have won 11 straight games to bring their record to 14-3. Redshirt sophomore Chelsea Thomas earned her fifth victory of the season in game one of the doubleheader, allowing four hits over five innings and striking out eight. Thomas has not allowed a run in her last 31.2 innings pitched.
Up by three in the bottom of the fifth, Missouri scored six runs on six hits to run-rule the Redbirds by a score of 8-0. Freshman Maddison Ruggeberg ended the game with a walk-off homer to deep left field, her third homer of the year.
“I was just looking for a good pitch, and I knew that the first pitch had been pretty good most of the day,” Ruggeberg said. “So I just got really aggressive and went for it. It was a little bit up but pretty nice though, right down the middle. I didn’t see where it went, but I don’t think I have (hit one that far), ever.”
Missouri then waited an hour before starting its game with Illinois, and coach Ehren Earleywine said he cautioned his team about getting complacent.
“Any coach will tell you that it’s very hard to get your team motivated after an enormous woodshop beating like we gave them in the first game,” Earleywine said. “It’s just tough because they feel so good about themselves, and sometimes they forget to reengage.
Junior pitcher Kristin Nottelmann struggled with her command in the second game, allowing three runs on five hits with two walks. “Her rise ball is her go-to pitch, and it just wasn’t spinning right,” Earleywine said. “And when it doesn’t spin right, it doesn’t move right and she can’t locate it. So it’s a good sign when you’re a pitcher, and you don’t have your best stuff, but you’re still able to have a chance to win.”
Missouri struggled at the plate against Illini pitcher Pepper Gay, failing to record a hit through three innings. But after Ashley Fleming walked in the bottom of the fourth, Catherine Lee tied the game at two, with a home run to left field. After the game, Lee said the offering was where she wanted it.
“I love inside pitches,” Lee said. “I step in the bucket sometimes when I swing, so if you’re going to hit me inside, I’m going to try and pull it. (Gay) was busting me outside all day, so when I stood up to the plate I figured she was going to come in. I guessed right I guess.”
Missouri added two more in the fifth, and Chelsea Thomas recorded her first career save to seal the 4-3 win for Missouri. The Tigers took on Illinois State and Illinois again Sunday in the final day of the tournament. Lee said the mindset for the Tigers for Sunday was not to overlook their opponents.
“I think the trick is to establish ourselves,” Lee said. “We’re not going to play around these teams every time and win. So it is kind of disappointing that we had to scrap around for four runs against Illinois, so (Sunday) we’ll be coming in looking to show that power offense through the lineup instead of in just the middle.”