April 3, 2011

WACO, Texas – The No. 11 Missouri Tigers improved to 5-1 in Big 12 play with a 6-0 shutout victory over the No. 17 Baylor Bears on Sunday.  The series split makes the Tigers 28-5 overall.

Redshirt sophomore Chelsea Thomas picked up the victory, throwing a complete game shutout.  The righty gave up just four hits, walked two and struck out 11.  Thomas now stands at 14-3 on the season.

Each team put a runner in scoring position in their half of the first but both squads came up empty.  Senior Rhea Taylor laid down a perfect bunt single and advanced to second on a throwing error, but Baylor's Liz Paul got a strikeout and a foul out to end the inning.  In the bottom of the first, Baylor put their leadoff hitter on with a single back to the pitcher, and she stole second base on a close play.  However, Thomas worked out of it with a pop out and two straight strikeouts to end the inning.

The Bears put runners on second and third with two outs in the second.  Kayce Walker drew a one out walk and two batters later Shelbi Redfearn hit a dribbler down the first base line.  Thomas fielded it but a bad throw allowed Walker and Redfearn to move into scoring position.  A swinging strikeout, Thomas' third of the inning, ended the threat.

An unearned run in Missouri's favor broke the scoreless tie in the top of the third.  Sophomore Jenna Marston roped a one out double to the wall in right-center field and would move up to third on a wild pitch.  Two batters later, Maddison Ruggeberg hit a little dribbler back to the mound that Paul couldn't field cleanly, allowing Marston to score and make it 1-0.  After Ashley Fleming blooped a single into left, Nicole Hudson smoked a liner through the 25 mile per hour wind that hooked just fair around the foul pole for a three run home run, breaking the game wide open for the Tigers.  The blast was Hudson's sixth of the year and ties her for second on the team with 22 runs batted in.

From there, Thomas settled in, as she retired 15 of the last 18 she faced while striking out six in that span.  Thomas now has 13 complete games and seven shutouts on the year.  All four hits that she allowed were infield singles.

A two out, two run double by Abby Vock in the top of the seventh added a little insurance for the Tigers, as she drove home Fleming, who singled to start the inning, and Hudson, who followed with a walk.

Baylor put two on with one out in the bottom of the seventh but a pop out and ground out secured the win for Missouri.

Hudson led the squad with three driven in, all coming on her home run, while walking twice.  Taylor added three hits, while Fleming picked up two and scored twice.

Missouri finishes off their 10-game road trip on Wednesday with a doubleheader at Evansville.  Game one starts at 4 p.m. CT.