Big Ten goodbyes can be rough, as the No. 8 Missouri softball team learned over the weekend. No. 14 Nebraska, set to leave for the Big Ten Conference next year, hosted the Tigers in Lincoln, Neb. over the weekend for the final matchup between the conference rivals.
The Cornhuskers didn’t offer a warm welcome, but Missouri rallied in the second game to earn a series split. The Tigers are now 38-6 overall and 10-2 in Big 12 play, good enough for second in the conference behind Texas.
A couple of Missouri streaks met their demise on Friday, as the Huskers took the first game by a score of 3-2. The loss snapped the Tigers’ 10-game winning streak and dealt sophomore Chelsea Thomas (21-4) her first defeat in her last seven starts.
The Huskers had to work for the win, however. Thomas struck out 10 batters during the game, but untimely walks ultimately were her undoing in the fifth inning. Trailing Missouri by two runs, Tatum Edwards led off the frame with Nebraska’s only hit of the day. Thomas then walked to batters to load the bases and hit a batter to bring in a run. Another walk and a sacrifice fly gave Nebraska the 3-2 lead for good, despite only having one hit in the inning.
Thomas took the circle again Saturday and looked much different than she did a day earlier. She took a no-hitter into the sixth inning, ultimately striking out nine and allowing two hits to Nebraska. One of those hits was nearly a home run in the first inning, but senior centerfielder Rhea Taylor leapt above the fence to keep it in play.
With a strong pitching effort behind them, the Missouri offense went to work. Senior Abby Vock hit her fourth homer of the year in the fifth inning to give the Tigers a 1-0 lead and then singled in the seventh to help load the bases for junior Ashley Fleming. Fleming drove in two runs with a single, and a sacrifice fly by sophomore Nicole Hudson gave Missouri the 4-1 victory.
Splitting the series after giving away the first game Friday was important for Missouri but not all that unexpected. The Tigers have not lost a series all season, nor have they lost two games in a row to the same opponent. A big part of that has to do with the pitching. Thomas’ endurance in back-to-back games has been impressive considering the amount of time she missed last season, and her presence has helped keep the Tigers in contention every weekend.
Even so, Missouri needs to find consistency on the road if it wants to advance far into the Big 12 tournament in a few weeks. The upcoming set with Oklahoma State in Stillwater should be another good test for the Tigers who’ll be looking to find a strong wave of momentum to roll on before their matchup with Texas.
The key for Missouri, however, is to not look too far ahead. The last time it did so, North Texas routed the Tigers in advance of their series with Baylor. As cliché as the old phrase might be, taking it one game at a time truly is the best strategy for Missouri at this point if it wants to be prepared for the best team in the Big 12.
