Missouri softball extended its winning streak against Western Illinois to 18 games on Tuesday, sweeping the mid-week doubleheader at Mizzou Stadium. The two victories improved the Tigers’ record to 23-16 on the season.
Missouri lost a key member of its offense early in the contest when senior catcher Kirsten Mack suffered a right-shoulder injury during the first inning of the first game. Mack tried making a diving catch on a bunt attempt, and landed awkwardly on her shoulder. She left the first game and did not return to the lineup in the second.
The senior leads the team in batting average and doubles. Her status for this weekend’s series against Auburn is still unclear.
Sophomore Rylee Pierce was then moved from right field to catcher. Pierce, who normally starts at first base, was starting in right field for the first time this season. Tuesday marked the second game Pierce had caught this season, the other coming against Monmouth on March 19.
“She did fine and I knew she would,” coach Ehren Earleywine said of Pierce after the game. “She did a lot of catching in high school so it wasn’t a big jump for her.”
Pierce contributed offensively with a two-RBI double in the third inning. The Tigers were able to take advantage with runners in scoring position in the first game, hitting 6-for-15 in those situations.
Senior Chloe Rathburn continued to hit, roping a two-run RBI double in the first inning and drawing a walk in the second to score sophomore Regan Nash. Senior Natalie Fleming hit her sixth home run of the season and finished with three RBIs.
Senior Cheyenne Baxter pitched four strong innings and allowed one earned run on three hits. Freshman Parker Conrad threw the final two innings against Western Illinois and surrendered two hits but no earned runs.
Missouri was unable to carry its momentum into the second game and the season-long issue of hitting with runners in scoring position reared its head again. Missouri batted 2-of-10 with runners in scoring position, but sophomore Kolby Romaine rose to the occasion with bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh inning.
Romaine stepped to the plate with two outs and with a chance to get her second walk-off hit of the season. She smashed a grounder right back up the middle that scored freshman Braxton Burnside and Rathburn to give the Tigers the win.
Earleywine said after the game he told Romaine her first name now starts with a “C” for clutch instead of a “K.”
Sophomore Madi Norman got the start in the second game, but it was Baxter who earned her second win of the night to improve to 11-4. She earned the win after giving up the lead in the top of the seventh inning.
Despite the two wins, Earleywine did not appear happy with the way his team played against Western Illinois.
“It was just a real vanilla feel around here until the games got close and then we started trying,” Earleywine said. “We played one good inning out of 14, maybe two. At Auburn, if we don’t play 14 good innings or 21 good innings, you get run ruled.”
Missouri travels to Alabama to play the No. 7 Auburn Tigers this weekend. It will give Missouri a chance to make up some ground in the Southeastern Conference, where the team currently sits eighth out of 13 teams.
_Edited by Eli Lederman | elederman@themaneater.com_
