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May 13, 2012
Missouri relinquishes lead, drops home series finale with Memphis
Despite overcoming an early deficit on Sunday at Taylor Stadium, the Missouri baseball team (27-24, 9-12 Big 12 Conference) could not hold on to its lead against Memphis in the series finale and lost 8-7, dropping the final home set of the season.
Memphis got its first run of the game when an error by junior center fielder Brannon Champagne allowed the visiting Tigers to get a run from a two-out single. A fly ball bounced off Champagne’s glove and the runner scored from first.
With freshman starting pitcher Brett Graves throwing less than half of his 67 pitches for strikes, Memphis was able to amass a 4-1 lead by the fourth inning.
But Missouri’s offense rallied, as junior designated hitter Dane Opel hit his Big 12-leading 11th home run, a three-run shot in the fourth, and the host Tigers got two more runs in the fifth to claim a 6-4 advantage.
The Missouri relievers could not hold the lead, though. Memphis tied the game at six in the top of the seventh inning and senior Dusty Ross surrendered the two deciding runs in the ninth.
Missouri begins its season-ending series, its last ever in the Big 12, when they travel to Lawrence, Kan. for a series with rival Kansas beginning May 17.
Missouri looks to clinch second place in Big 12 with Oklahoma State sweep
The No. 9 Missouri softball team (42-12, 16-7 Big 12 Conference) defeated Oklahoma State 5-3 in game two of the series at University Field on Saturday afternoon.
The Tigers jumped out to an early lead in the second inning when junior designated player Lindsey Muller was hit by a pitch. Freshman Brianna Corwin pinch ran for Muller, took second on a groundout and moved to third on a single by freshman left fielder Kayla Kingsley. Freshman shortstop Corrin Genovese roped a double to the gap in the outfield to give Missouri a 2-0 lead.
Junior catcher Jenna Marston singled to lead the Tigers off in the third before senior right fielder Ashley Fleming blasted her 15th home run of the year, extending the lead to 4-0 before the inning ended.
The Cowgirls retaliated in the top of the fifth, though, when they strung together a few hits off of freshman pitcher Bailey Erwin. Gessenia DeLaCruz knocked a two-run home run for her team before Missouri put in redshirt junior pitcher Chelsea Thomas to relieve Erwin.
Thomas walked the first two batters she faced, helping Oklahoma State push another run across to trim the lead to 4-3. She struck out a batter to end the inning.
Muller hit her sixth home run of the season to give the Tigers a 5-3 lead before Thomas shut down the Cowgirls in the top of the seventh to clinch the win.
In the series-opener on Friday night, Thomas recorded her 11th no-hitter of her career, Missouri’s first conference no-hitter since Kacey Marshall no-hit Nebraska in 1992.
With Thomas expected to take the mound for the Tigers in the series finale on Sunday, she stands nine strikeouts away from breaking the program's career strikeouts record.
The win would cling the Tigers’ second place standing in the Big 12. The game begins at 12 p.m. at University Field.
May 12, 2012
Missouri bounces back for 9-1 win over Memphis after series-opening loss
The Missouri baseball team (27-23, 9-12 Big 12 Conference) rebounded from its series-opening loss to win the second game against Memphis 9-1 on Saturday at Taylor Stadium.
A day before, the host Tigers had fallen behind 2-0 in the first inning. They once again faced an early deficit as Memphis took a 1-0 lead in the second inning.
But this time, Missouri would regain control and win definitively.
A three-run fourth inning, featuring a two-RBI single by junior first baseman Andreas Plackis gave Missouri the lead and allowed the Tigers to pull away after that, tallying another run in the fifth and five more in the seventh.
Junior left fielder Scott Sommerfeld hit his second home run of the season, a solo shot in the seventh, and Plackis extended his hitting streak to 12 games.
Freshman right-hander John Miles shined on the mound for the Tigers, hurling seven full innings and only allowing one run in his second career start. Miles, the reigning Big 12 Newcomer of the Week, threw only 86 pitches to earn his fourth win of the season.
The series finale, Missouri’s final home game of the season, is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Sunday.
May 11, 2012
Missouri win streak snaps in 6-4 loss to Memphis
The Missouri baseball team’s three-game winning streak drew to a close Friday in a loss to visiting Memphis. The Tigers (26-23) allowed a season-high six doubles in route to a 6-4 defeat.
Senior pitcher Jeff Emens entered into the game late to pitch 3.2 shutout innings, allowing only four hits and striking out four Memphis batters. Junior first baseman Andreas Plackis extending his hitting streak to 11 straight contests.
Memphis jumped out to an early lead as starting sophomore pitcher Rob Zastrysny found himself in hot water right out of the gate. With the bases loaded, a single to left field gave Memphis the 2-0 advantage. Zastryzny prevented any further damage, though, retiring the next two batters to end the top of the first inning.
Missouri put runners on base the first two innings, but was unable to capitalize and bring them home. It wasn’t until the third that the team added a tally to the scoreboard. After sophomore second baseman Dillon Everett walked, senior catcher Ben Turner notched a double, rounding Everett around third and bringing him home to score, cutting the tally to 2-1.
Once again, Memphis threatened in the fourth inning, posting runners on the corners with only one out, but Zastryzny struck out the next to batters to get the Tigers out of the jam. In the bottom of the frame, junior outfielder Blake Brown doubled with two outs. He later came around to score after the Memphis shortstop committed an error fielding a chopped ball off the bat of junior designated hitter Scott Sommerfeld. Junior outfielder Brannon Champagne then sent a screaming line drive down the third-base line to put Missouri on top 3-2.
It would prove to be a lead the Tigers would lose immediately, as a pair of doubles with runners in scoring position put Memphis ahead 5-3. Emens replaced Zastryzny immediately after, forcing a flyout but then conceding a single and another run, drawing the Memphis lead to 6-3 after the fifth.
The game remained scoreless throughout the 6th with Emens locking down the Memphis bats. But the Missouri offense failed to capitalize.
In the bottom of the seventh, a pair of singles saw Everett and Plackis safely on base and, after a bad throw sailed out of play, Everett came home to score to cut the score to 6-4.
The deficit turned out to be too much to overcome, though, and the Tiger offense failed to muster a comeback in the ninth.
The Tigers will continue its series with Memphis at 1 p.m. Saturday for Senior Day.
Miller joins Missouri as assistant with 'impressive pedigree'
Missouri men’s basketball coach Frank Haith has named Ryan Miller to his assistant staff, as announced by the university on Friday. Miller fills the position vacated by Isaac Chew, who left the program for the top assistant job at Illinois in April.
“We’re very fortunate to have someone of Ryan’s caliber join our program,” Haith said in a news release. “I think he’s the total package, he’s an outstanding, proven recruiter, and an outstanding coach who is a great teacher and skill development guy. He’s certainly got an impressive pedigree…”
Miller served as an assistant at New Mexico for the past five years, during which time the Lobos notched the most successful five-year span in school history with an overall 126-46 record. Miller worked with guards during that time, but is notably regarded for his contributions as a scout and recruiter.
Miller’s cousin, Ernie Kuyper is a co-founder and coach for the Memphis-based AAU program m33m. Miami Heat guard Mike Miller, Ryan Miller’s younger brother, sponsors the club. M33m currently features Rival.com’s No. 24 recruit in the 2013 class, Robert Hubbs III, a 6-foot-4 guard from Newborn, Tenn., who visited Columbia for a weekend recently.
Before New Mexico, Miller worked under then Memphis coach John Calipari, currently coaching national champion Kentucky. Miller worked as a basketball operations assistant under Calipari from 2004-2006.
Miller’s playing career includes two summers in Melbourne, Australia, during 2000 and 2001, where he starred as the professional league MVP, guiding his team to a league championship. He also stands as Northern State’s eighth all-time leading scorer and was a Division II All-American following the 1997-1998 season.
“He’s played professionally, so he has that experience to draw on, and he has a lot of important contacts in this part of the country from a recruiting perspective,” Haith said in the release.
Miller mentioned Haith and the appeal of working at Missouri during the school’s transitioning year to the Southeastern Conference as part of his decision to come to Columbia.
“I’m excited to have this kind of opportunity to work for a university like Missouri,” he said. “Coach Haith is obviously a great coach, and I’m grateful to him, and to Mike Alden and his administration for asking me to be a part of it. I’m looking forward to continuing to help build Mizzou’s program on and off the court, and be part of the transition into the SEC.”
May 9, 2012
Missouri rallies to sweep Missouri State
The Missouri baseball team (26-22, 9-12 Big 12 Conference) completed its season series sweep of Missouri State by winning 10-5 Wednesday night at Taylor Stadium.
The team’s first meeting with the Bears, on April 25 in Springfield, Mo., was a low-scoring, 11-inning battle that ended in a 4-3 win for the Tigers.
Missouri busted out the bats in this second game, though, tagging Missouri State with 14 hits. Senior third baseman Conner Mach went four for four with two doubles and junior left fielder Dane Opel was three for four with a home run, his 10th of the season.
The Bears led 4-0 after the top of the fourth inning, but the Tigers responded with two runs in the bottom of the frame and added three more in the fifth to take a 5-4 lead.
Missouri State got a run to tie in the seventh inning, but Missouri got five more runs over the seventh and eighth innings to down the Bears. Freshman pitcher Ryan Yuengel, who threw the seventh and eighth and allowed only one hit, got his second win of the season.
The Tigers stay in Columbia this weekend and begin their final home series of the season against Memphis on May 11.
May 7, 2012
Missouri to complete recruiting class with Tulsa transfer Clarkson
Coach Frank Haith and the Missouri men’s basketball team added the last name to the 2012-13 roster after Tulsa sophomore guard Jordan Clarkson committed to the Tigers on Monday.
“MIZZOU!!! Blessed to be apart of the Tiger family! Appreciate all of the love!!!” Clarkson posted on his Twitter account, @J3Clarkson.
Clarkson will round out the 2012 recruiting class, as he is expected to be one of 13 under scholarship next season. After signing Connecticut transfer Alex Oriakhi, the 6-foot-9, 240-pound junior forward many considered to be the top transferring target upon his announcement last month, the team had one scholarship remaining to be issued.
The scholarship might have been waiting to be claimed by Devonta Pollard, a five-star recruit according to Rivals.com from De Kalb, Miss., who, according to reports, was expected to make a decision on Friday between Missouri, Alabama, Georgetown and Texas. That decision has yet to be made, but, with Clarkson’s commitment, Missouri will no longer be involved.
The Tigers have invested in Clarkson, a 6-foot-4, 188-pounder who played both guard positions for Tulsa last season, leading the team with 16.5 points a game and also providing 3.9 rebounds and 2.5 assists on his sophomore campaign.
Having completed his first season in Columbia, Haith and his staff have brought in five transfers now, a list that includes Oriakhi, senior guard Keion Bell, junior guard Earnest Ross and freshman guard Jabari Brown, all of whom will be eligible to play this season.
After sitting out for a year due to NCAA transfer rules, Clarkson will have two years of eligibility.
Miles named Big 12 Newcomer of the Week
Missouri baseball freshman pitcher John Miles was named Big 12 Conference Newcomer of the Week on Monday.
The announcement comes after Miles threw three and two-thirds innings and allowed three hits in the Tigers’ 11-inning, series-clinching win Sunday over Texas. In his first career start against Arkansas on May 2, he threw four scoreless innings. He also tossed a scoreless frame April 29 at Texas Tech.
A Columbia native who attended Rock Bridge High School, Miles has been a solid right-hander out of the bullpen for Missouri. He has appeared in 20 games, racking up 20 strikeouts in 34 innings while compiling a .246 batting average against, third best on the team.
The Tigers have a rematch with Missouri State May 9 at Taylor Stadium then stay home for a series against Memphis beginning May 11.
May 5, 2012
Missouri takes Oregon series
The No. 9 Missouri softball team (40-12, 14-7 Big 12 Conference) split a double-header on Saturday against No. 12 Oregon in Eugene, Ore., losing the first game 8-3 and winning the second game 7-3.
In the first game, both the Tigers and Ducks remained scoreless through the first two innings before Missouri grabbed 1-0 lead in the top of the third after sophomore center fielder Mackenzie Sykes reached base on an error and freshman first baseman Kelsea Roth plated her with a line drive single.
Oregon retaliated in the bottom of the inning with a three-run home run by junior Samantha Pappas. Missouri committed an error to keep the inning alive, and sophomore Alexa Peterson blasted the second home run of the inning to extend Oregon’s lead to 5-1.
The next inning, the Ducks roped their third home run of the game with a two-run shot by junior Kaylan Howard.
Missouri cut the lead in the top of the fifth after Oregon’s junior pitcher Jessica Moore hit three batters and walked one to push a run across. A grounder by freshman left fielder Kayla Kingsley drove in another run in on a grounder to make for a 7-3 Oregon lead.
A base hit in the bottom of the sixth scored another run for the Ducks and Missouri couldn’t come back in the seventh, resulting in the Ducks’ win.
The Tigers fought back in the second game, though, putting redshirt junior pitcher Chelsea Thomas on the mound.
In the top of the second, Missouri’s bats were hot. Roth started the inning off with a walk and junior designated player Lindsey Muller doubled to put two runners on. Freshman shortstop Corrin Genovese and Kingsley both reached base on a fielder’s choice to bring across a run.
With the bases loaded and none out, freshman second baseman Ashtin Stephens singled in two more runs before junior catcher Jenna Marston plated another to give Missouri a 4-0 lead. Senior right fielder Ashley Fleming then roped her second double of the game to push one more run across the plate before the inning was over.
In the bottom of the fourth, Oregon’s senior Kelsey Chambers knocked a two-run home run to cut the Tigers’ lead to 5-2.
Genovese singled and stole second in the sixth inning before Stephens slapped her in to extend the lead to 6-2 for Missouri.
Two walks issued by Thomas in the bottom of the inning eventually brought a run across for the Ducks, making it a 6-3 game.
Missouri scored one more time in the top of the seventh after Fleming’s third double of the game brought home Marston, and Oregon couldn’t get another runner on base in the bottom of the inning to react.
The Tigers will finish the regular season next weekend with a home series against Oklahoma State, beginning 6 p.m. on Friday at University Field.
May 4, 2012
Missouri outduels Oregon in 5-4 thriller
The No. 9 Missouri softball team (39-11, 14-7 Big 12 Conference) defeated the No. 12 Oregon Ducks 5-4 in a dramatic Friday night game in Eugene, Or.
Redshirt junior pitcher Chelsea Thomas earned her 20th win on the season while issuing five walks, seven hits, three strikeouts, and allowing three earned runs.
The Tigers took the early lead in the top of the second when freshman first baseman Kelsea Roth singled to center field and moved to second on a passed ball. Freshman shortstop Corrin Genovese then roped in Roth’s pinch runner, freshman Brianna Corwin, on a single to left field.
The Ducks knotted the game in the bottom of the inning, though, with a leadoff solo home run by sophomore Kailee Cuico, her 10th on the year.
Missouri retaliated in the next half inning, scoring a pair of runs to take back the lead. Junior catcher Jenna Marston legged out a dribbler to Oregon’s junior pitcher Jessica Moore, who couldn’t handle the ball cleanly. Senior right fielder Ashley Fleming then knocked a colossal home run, her 14th of the season, to grab a 3-1 lead for the Tigers.
Another home run by Oregon cut Missouri’s lead in the bottom of the third, and the Ducks tied the game in the same inning after a walk and a double by Cuico.
In the bottom of the fourth, the Ducks took their first lead of the game when they put a runner on second and scored her on a dropped fly ball in the outfield.
The fifth inning was quiet, but the Tigers took another lead in the top of the sixth on two hits and an error. Junior third baseman Nicole Hudson started the inning with a base hit and moved to second on a ground out. Junior designated player Lindsey Muller then reached first on a fielder’s choice that moved Hudson to third before freshman right fielder Kayla Kingsley lined an opposite field double to bring Hudson home.
Muller rounded third on the same play, but slipped and retreated back to the bag. The Oregon catcher threw behind her, but the ball tipped off the third baseman’s glove and Muller crossed the plate, giving the Tigers a 5-4 lead.
Thomas finished the Ducks off the last two innings.
Missouri and Oregon will play a double header starting at 3 p.m. on Saturday in Eugene, Ore.