May 9, 2009
Box Score
Oklahoma City, Okla. - The second seeded Missouri softball team kept its Big 12 Championship title hopes alive besting Oklahoma State, 10-0, in five innings in its first game of the 14th annual Big 12 Tournament played at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium. With the win, Missouri advances in the bracket and will take on the winner of the Texas A&M, Baylor game in the 5 p.m. (CT) Saturday evening semifinal contest.
Freshman pitcher Chelsea Thomas (Pleasantville, Iowa) was credited with the victory, her 12th of the year. Thomas threw four innings, striking out three of the 16 batters she faced while allowing just three hits. Her ninth solo shutout of the season, Thomas stands one shutout shy of tying former Missouri player Erin Kalka for the 10th spot on the Tiger's single season shutout list. Junior left Jana Hainey (Peculiar, Mo.) closed out the game for the Tigers, striking out two of the last three OSU batters.
Two-time All-Big 12 Conference selection Lindsey Ubrun (Riverside, Calif.) lifted Missouri ahead of the Cowgirls, 3-0, in the bottom of the first, with her 15th home run of the year. The Tigers had runners on first and second when Ubrun sent the 2-2 pitch deep over the centerfield fence. Earlier in the inning, leadoff batter, sophomore Rhea Taylor (Buford, Ga.), reached base on balls advancing to second after two hole hitter, redshirt junior Gina Schneider (Liberty, Mo.) was awarded first after being hit by pitch. Ubrun was next to the plate and hit her 11th yard ball of the year against a league opponent bringing her RBI count to 48 on the campaign. Sophomore Marla Schweisberger (Raytown, Mo.) was next to score for Missouri, reaching base after being hit by pitch, advancing to second on a wild pitch and scoring on catcher Megan Christopher's (Wright City, Mo.) single to left field.
By the close of the game, the Tigers had combined for nine hits with six members of Missouri's nine person lineup managing at least one hit in the game. Taylor, Ubrun and Schweisberger all managed two hits, while Christopher finished the game 1-for-1 with three RBI.
