It was a bittersweet day for Missouri sports Friday, as the No. 12 Missouri softball team followed up the men’s basketball team’s loss in the NCAA Tournament with a 10-0 run-ruling of Kansas in the first game of the weekend’s border showdown.
The win ended a 20-game win streak for the Jayhawks.
“I was really proud of three things — we threw strikes, we swung at strikes and we fielded ground balls,” coach Ehren Earlywine said. “It’s a pretty simple game, it really is. When we do that, we have good outings, and tonight was the best of our season so far.”
Kansas was three-up, three-down in the top of the first. Junior catcher Jenna Marston started off the bottom of the inning with a walk before junior left fielder Nicole Hudson drove her in with a double to right field.
After another 1-2-3 inning by redshirt junior pitcher Chelsea Thomas, the Tigers drew another walk by junior shortstop Princess Krebs in the bottom of the second. After Krebs stole second, junior designated hitter Lindsey Muller singled to left, which moved Krebs to third. After a stolen base and an error scored Krebs, Marston then singled to score two more. Freshman third baseman Corrin Genovese then doubled off of the left field wall to score freshman second baseman Ashtin Stephens and Marston before she was brought in by a dropped fly ball to center. The Tigers finished the second inning with a 6-0 lead.
The third inning was quiet for both teams, with the only hit coming from Muller when she hit a loud double off of the right-center wall.
Thomas’ no-hitter ended in the top of the fifth when Jayhawks catcher Rosie Hull lined to left field.
The Tigers responded to their opponents’ offensive spark in the bottom of the inning. Hudson started off with a line drive up the middle and was eventually brought in by a mishandled grounder.
After Thomas pitched for two outs in the sixth, senior pitcher Kristin Nottelmann came in to finish the inning and the game.
The Tigers improve to 18-3 on the season and started Big 12 Conference play with a win, but Earleywine said Saturday’s matchup will be tougher for the team.
“Any coach knows that the hardest thing in the world to do is to keep your team up after a big win like that,” Earleywine said. “I told the team after the game, ‘This is the hardest thing I have to do, trying to get you guys fired up for tomorrow, so we’ll see what you’re made of.’”
Missouri will continue its home series against the Jayhawks at 2 p.m. Saturday.
