When Missouri freshman designated hitter Kelsi Jones stepped up to bat against Alcorn State with the bases loaded Sunday, she didnʼt dig in.
She couldnʼt.
With rain pelting down on University Field, the No. 12 Tigers (16-3) played inside Devine Fieldhouse for the first time all season, defeating Alcorn State 9-0.
A makeshift diamond was created on top of the practice football field, making for unusual dimensions that included a deeper center field and a much shorter right field than those at University Field. Any fly ball that hit the ceiling required an umpire’s judgment on the ruling.
“They were probably a little freaked out by it,” said Jones, who unloaded the bases with a grand slam that nicked the roof of the building just before the right field wall. “Theyʼve never been in such a facility like our indoor football field. Itʼs great for us because we practiced in there all winter.”
Jones said because theyʼre so used to practicing indoors, the Tigers donʼt change their approach when they have to play a game in Devine.
“We still went out looking to score as many runs as we could and dominate,” she said.
And dominate they did.
The grand slam was Jonesʼ second home run of the day. She finished 3-for-3 with five RBIs. Freshman second baseman Corrin Genovese added a solo shot and a two-run triple of her own, and the Tigers rode a strong start by freshman Bailey Erwin (five innings, four hits, no earned runs) to beat Alcorn State 9-0 in game one of the doubleheader.
Coach Ehren Earleywine said some teams refuse to play inside because they feel that it gives Missouri an advantage, even if it means their games will be canceled.
The only players it benefits, he said, are slap hitters because the ball dies quickly after it hits the turf.
“But we don’t even have any slap hitters in our starting lineup,” he said.
The Tigers defeated Illinois State, who wouldn’t play inside, 8-0 at University Field in the nightcap amid a constant, heavy rain.
“I’m bewildered as to why other colleges don’t want to play in there,” Earleywine said after the game, a thick winter jacket wrapped around him. “There’s no bad hops, no wind, no cold. To me, playing is better than sitting in your hotel room.”
The Illinois State game was manageable but difficult to play in, Missouri junior shortstop Princess Krebs said.
“I don’t want to say we’re used to it, because I don’t like it,” said Krebs, who went 3-for-3 against the Huskies and launched a two-run home run. “The rain always makes it hard to throw, but we’ve played in worse.”
The avoidable weather also makes it tough on the batter, who has to grip the bat and track the ball through the rain, Earleywine said.
During the Illinois State game, coaches and players on both benches wore large jackets and gloves in an attempt to endure the weather, their hoods up and heads down. Many of the fans took cover below the bleachers, and the ones who didn’t held blankets above their heads as tarps.
“As long as you’re playing in the same building, you wouldn’t think there would be an advantage,” Earleywine said. “The only team that had any guts to go in there was Alcorn.”