Box Score

TROY, Ala. – Eastern Kentucky’s softball team upset No. 5 Missouri, 6-5 in 10 innings, on Saturday at the Quality Inn Classic hosted by Troy University.  It was the Colonels third extra-inning game in their first three games of the season.  EKU’s second game of the day, against Troy, was postponed due to rain.

Missouri entered the weekend ranked fifth in the ESPN/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25.  The Tigers are No. 6 in the USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25.  UM is the highest ranked team Eastern Kentucky has ever beaten.  The previous best was a victory over No. 7 South Carolina in 1995.

Eastern’s 3-0 start to the season ties for the second best in program history.  The 2003 team started 5-0.  EKU also started 3-0 in 1997.

Missouri (2-1) scored a run in the first and another in the third.  Trailing 2-0, EKU got on the board in the top of the sixth with an RBI single by freshman Katie Tackett.  However, the Tigers pushed their lead back to two with another run in the bottom of the sixth.

With two outs and two on in the top of the seventh, newcomer Carissa Reisinger singled up the middle to load the bases.  Raquel Howes drew a bases loaded walk to cut the deficit to 3-2.  Tackett followed with a single up the middle to tie the game.  Shannon McQueen put the Colonels on top 4-3 with an RBI single.

In the bottom half of the seventh, Missouri put their first two batters on base.  With one out, Corrin Genovese’s sacrifice fly tied the game.

Lauren Mitchell’s throw home on a ground ball in the bottom of the eighth cut down what would have been the winning run.  With two on Shaylon Robb got a strike out to end the inning.

Each team scored in the ninth to keep the game going.  Mitchell’s sacrifice fly in the top of the 10th staked Eastern to a 6-5 lead.  With a runner on third and one out in the bottom half of the inning, Robb induced a ground ball back to herself and threw home to cut down the tying run.  Robb hit the next batter to put two on base, but she got Ashtin Stephens to fly out to third to end the game and complete the upset.

Robb (2-0) pitched the final eight innings after coming on in relief in the third.  She allowed four runs, three of which were earned, on eight hits while striking out seven.  Diane Gallagher finished 2-for-5 with two runs scored.  Tackett went 2-for-5 with two RBIs.

The Colonels will conclude play at the Quality Inn Classic on Sunday.  Weather permitting, EKU will face Troy at 11:30 a.m. and Ball State at 1:30 p.m.