Saturday’s softball game brought a different kind of feeling to University Field and the Missouri softball team.
Before game No. 2 of the Tigers’ Southeastern Conference series with South Carolina, players announced they would be playing the game in protest of Missouri’s athletics administration, specifically athletics director Mack Rhoades.
The game ended the Tigers’ nine-game winning streak, as they fell to South Carolina 3–1. The Gamecocks jumped out to an early lead in the first inning when junior Tori Finucane issued two walks, threw a wild pitch and hit a batter, allowing three runs off of an RBI. Freshman pitcher Danielle Baumgartner entered the game to get Missouri out of the jam and stayed in for the rest with solid pitching and strong defense.
Mizzou put a run on the board when junior Kirsten Mack stole home in the bottom of the second inning. The Tigers, however, were unable to score any more runs for the rest of the game.
In the statement released before the game, the team claimed the athletics department is conducting an “unjust” investigation of the softball program and coaching staff and went on to explain players’ grievances with it.
The statement mentions that the investigation has something to do with the coaching staff. It is unclear what the investigation is about more specifically.
Coach Ehren Earleywine has led Missouri to nine NCAA tournaments, and the No. 14 Tigers are well on their way to another one. In his 13 years as a head coach — three seasons at Georgia Tech and 10 seasons at Mizzou — Earleywine has never missed the postseason tournament.
“Mack Rhoades and the Mizzou athletic department drawing out this unnecessary investigation on our coaching staff is having an emotional effect on our team,” the statement reads.
Mizzou Athletics issued a statement in the sixth inning of the game, and media was informed that there would be no postgame interviews from the players or coaches. The administration had no comment.
Mizzou administration statement on softball protests: pic.twitter.com/S7aa8z9b1c
— Anne Rogers (@AnneRogers11) May 7, 2016
After the game, the players declined to comment on both the game and the protests, repeating the same lines of support for the team.
“I stand behind my teammates and my coaches,” sophomore Amanda Sanchez and junior Chloe Rathburn both said. “I have no comment.”
Earleywine declined to comment as well, saying he was not ready to talk yet and he had to get to the senior banquet at the Missouri Athletic Training Complex after the game.
_Edited by Peter Baugh | pbaugh@themaneater.com_