Story by Kelsie Heneghan
Photos by Karen Mitchell

Alcorn State's Samantha Martinez can't handle the throw to first, allowing Missouri's Corrin Genovese to reach safely.

In the first two home games of the season, the No. 12 Missouri Tiger softball team came out swinging, with two run-rule games, beating the Alcorn State Lady Braves 14-1 and the Boise State Broncos 8-0, both in five innings. These were the first two games of the 14-game DeMarini Invitational, which also includes the Northern Illinois Huskies.

First baseman Kelsea Roth went 4-for-6 on the day including a home run in the second game. Coach Ehren Earleywine has put the freshman right in the heart of the batting order.

“It’s kind of intimidating, because I’m right in between two of the best hitters on the team (Ashley Fleming and Nicole Hudson),” Roth said. “But they’re supporting me and if one of us fails, the other ones got her back, so it’s pretty cool.”

Left fielder Hudson hit the sole home run of the first game and right fielder Fleming hit her team-leading fourth home run of the season in the second game.

“The first game I didn’t hit as good as I wanted to, I got under a couple balls,” Fleming said. “This game I just wanted to take the approach of getting back on top of it and squaring them up and hit a couple line drives.”

Pitchers Kristin Nottelmann and Chelsea Thomas backed up the dominant Tiger hitting. Nottelmann allowed one unearned run on three hits and two walks.

The unearned run came in the first inning of game one. Alcorn State’s Bianca Armstrong and Brittanee Crayton got on base with a walk and a single; a passed ball by Rachel Hay then moved the two Lady Braves into scoring position. The next batter hit a sacrifice fly to score Armstrong. That was the only run the Tigers would allow all day.

Thomas gave up a hit to the first batter she faced in game two, but was lights out after that with eight strikeouts.

“You can’t throw one (a no-hitter) every game, as much as I would love to,” Thomas said, “but I got another shot at them, maybe tomorrow.”

The Tigers continue the tournament tomorrow with two more games against the Lady Braves and the Broncos. Freshman Bailey Erwin will get the 12:30 p.m. start against Alcorn State and Thomas will get a rematch against Boise State at 3 p.m.