March 18, 2012

Photo Gallery  | Game One Highlights | Game Two Highlights

COLUMBIA, Mo. - The No. 12 Missouri Tigers took both games of a doubleheader on Sunday afternoon to complete a three-game sweep of rival Kansas. Mizzou won game one by a 5-0 score before run-ruling the Jayhawks, 9-0, in the second contest.

For the series, the Tigers outscored Kansas by a 24-0 margin and have now won the last seven meetings between the two schools. The Tigers have now won 15 straight games and are 20-3 overall on the season with a 3-0 record in conference play.

Missouri 5, Kansas 0
In game one, Missouri jumped on the Jayhawks for three unearned runs in the bottom of the first inning, aided by a fielding error on the Kansas first baseman. With one out, Corrin Genovese drew a walk and Ashley Fleming singled into center field. Nicole Hudson then hit a hard grounder to first that was misplayed, allowing Genovese to come in and score. Fleming scored on a wild pitch, while an RBI ground out by Lindsey Muller brought home Hudson.

Mizzou put their first two runners aboard in the third as Jenna Marston singled ahead of Genovese getting hit by a pitch. With two outs, Muller drove in her second run of the day with a single into left. In the fourth, Marston drove in Mackenzie Sykes, who singled and moved to third on an Ashtin Stephens double, to make it 5-0.

Chelsea Thomas won her 10th game of the season, tossing five shutout innings while allowing two hits, three walks and striking out nine. Thomas hasn't allowed a run in her last 40.1 innings pitched. Freshman Bailey Erwin threw the last two innings, striking out two while surrendering two hits. Muller drove in a team-best two RBI while Marson and Fleming led the team with two hits apiece.

Missouri 9, Kansas 0 (6)
After going down in order in each of the first two innings, the Tigers finally broke through with six runs on three hits in the bottom of the third inning. With two aboard and one out, Fleming drove in the first run of the game with a base hit to center, plating Marson. Hudson and Muller drew back-to-back walks, bringing in a second run. After a sacrifice fly by Princess Krebs made it 3-0, Kelsi Jones belted her second three-run homer of the weekend, and fourth homer of the year, to put Mizzou ahead by a 6-0 margin.

Neither team would score until the Tigers scored three times in the sixth to secure the run-rule victory. Marston started the two-out rally by roping a double into the right field corner and came in to score when Angela Randazzo blooped a single into center. Fleming ended the game with her fifth homer of the year, a deep shot over the wall in right.

Junior Kristin Nottelmann had her best performance of the season, striking out seven batters and allowing only two hits in six shutout innings. She's won her last four starts and is now 6-2 on the season. Fleming went 2-for-4 with a homer, two runs and three RBI, while Jones went 1-for-3 with the homer and also three driven in.

Missouri hosts the Iowa Hawkeyes in a doubleheader on Wednesday afternoon, beginning at 3 p.m. CT from University Field. For more information, stay tuned to mutigers.com.