Tigers third baseman Nicole Hudson spent parts of the previous week with her fellow Joplin residents, rummaging through tornado debris to uncover the place they once called home.
But at the long week’s end, all Hudson could do after her team’s two-game sweep of the Super Regional last weekend was smile as her eyes focused on a new home at Missouri’s third consecutive trip to the Women’s College World Series.
In cheering on a 4-0 Saturday victory and a 6-3 Sunday win to advance to Oklahoma City, back-to-back stadium-record crowds joined Hudson in picking up the pieces of their own lives in a communal celebration of all things Missouri softball.
“I just feel really lucky to go out and represent the whole area of Joplin,” Hudson said while fighting back the post-game emotion of game one. “To be able to represent that on TV is a really big deal to me.”
The Super Regional victory stood as a big deal to all decked out in black and gold – a truth that was evident from the start of a weekend series that would simply be Missouri’s for the taking.
The Tigers got Saturday’s crowd into the game in their first at-bat, when Hudson blasted a double off the wall to set up junior outfielder Ashley Fleming with an RBI opportunity. Fleming’s grounder was enough to score sophomore shortstop Jenna Marston from third for a 1-0 lead.
The one run was all that was needed in one of ace Chelsea Thomas’ finest starts of the season. Just named a top-three candidate for the National Collegiate Player of the Year Award, the Big 12 Pitcher of the Year put any questions about her velocity to rest with a complete-game, two-hit shutout that featured 13 strikeouts.
“I think she answered any questions I might have had about her velocity going into the week,” coach Ehren Earleywine said.
Thomas would get more run support as the game progressed. Hudson blasted another pitch in the bottom of the third inning, this time a home run off the center field scoreboard to extend the lead to 2-0.
An inning after Washington collected its first hit of the game in the fourth, Missouri (52-8) added two fifth-inning runs when strong base running brought home two members of a bases-loaded set. The 4-0 lead would be the final Thomas would need to secure the win in the later innings.
In the post-game press conference, Earleywine cited early leads as a key to his team’s success all season long. Thus, a five-run first inning of game two – featuring singles from Hudson and senior outfielder Rhea Taylor, and a three-run home run by senior outfielder Lisa Simmons – had him understandably elated.
“You give Chelsea Thomas five runs in the first inning and you can pretty much book it,” said Earleywine, who was ejected that very inning for arguing a foul ball call.
Thomas worked the entire game to close out the win and the series. Although she allowed three runs in an outing that was not of her best form, she notched seven strikeouts and worked in and out of jams to assure the Tigers advancement to the WCWS.
“There was no doubt in my mind that we were going to win this game,” Thomas said. “This time, when we go back (to the WCWS), we’re going to do some damage.”
For a Tigers squad making its third consecutive trip, the berth presents a unique opportunity to accomplish what past Tigers teams could not.
“You bring a certain level of experience and poise with you into the (Women’s College) World Series now, and a certain matter of frustration and resolve from what we have not done in the past,” Earleywine said of his team’s Thursday night match up with Florida.