Mizzou Grinds Out Ugly Sweep of UNI

Disappointed was a sentiment echoed by Missouri players and coaches after a doubleheader sweep of Northern Iowa.

“Really disappointed,” said Head Coach Ehren Earleywine. “The girls didn’t show up much.”

After a fantastic weekend against LSU, Mizzou needed an ejection of Earleywine before they showed any signs of life.

Upset by a runner interference call to end the fourth inning, Earleywine calmly walked to the center of the diamond to argue the call. Earleywine didn’t get a satisfactory explanation. When the umpire started to walk away, Earleywine followed and was ejected.

“It shouldn’t be like that during midweeks,” said Kelsea Roth. “We got to play better than that.”

Missouri needed everything freshman Paige Lowary could give them. Pitching against one of her best friends, Macy Wolfe, She delivered with her fourth complete game of the season. Lowary finished the game with nine strikeouts and three hits allowing one earned run and zero walks.

“I was mixing it up, and doing what I always do,” said, CO-SEC Freshman of the Week, Lowary after the game.

Lowary has been on a tear lately. She has thrown three complete games in the last seven days. Disregarding game three against LSU, when “she just didn’t have enough bullets in the chamber,” Lowary has given up only four runs in 29 innings pitched.

UNI jumped out to the early lead after an error by Sami Fagan allowed Caitlin Wnek to score just two batters into game one. Lowary responded by setting down the next UNI hitters in order. She allowed a leadoff home run to start the fourth inning to make the score 2-1, but Lowary’s performance kept Missouri in the game until the bats joined the party.

She finished the game with 9 strikeouts, 3 hits and 1 earned run.

Mizzou scratched out a run in the second inning. Kelsea Roth walked, moved to scoring position on a wild pitch, and scored on a ground out, but the bats remained quiet until the fifth inning.

Natalie Fleming reached base on an error to start the fifth, and Taylor Gadbois worked a walk to start the rally. Emily Crane bunted to move Fleming and Gadbois into scoring position ahead of team RBI leader, junior Sami Fagan.

Fagan lined a double to left field to give the Tigers a 3-2 lead. Fagan, 1-3 and 2 RBI, later scored on a double by Kirsten Mack to put Missouri ahead 4-2.

After giving her the lead, Lowary retired six of the last seven Panther batters to end the game.

The second game was not a low scoring affair.

Missouri started Cheyenne Baxter for the first time in more than two months. Baxter surrendered three runs in three straight innings to give UNI a 9-4 lead.

Down five runs in the sixth inning, Mizzou would use a pair of clutch hits to take the lead. The first three hitters reached base for the Tigers. After an out, Fagan came up with the chance to pull her team closer. She hit a sharp single to bring home outfielder Morgan Walters, 2-2 with 2 runs scored, to make the score 9-5. Down by four, Amanda Sanchez came to the plate representing the tying run.

Sanchez delivered the biggest hit in the inning. A grand slam to tie the game at nine, but the Tigers were still not done in the inning.

Roth came to the plate two batters later with the bases empty and hit her 42nd career home run to give Missouri a 10-9 lead.

The Tigers once again relied on Lowary. Pitching her eighth inning of the day, she retired the side in order to secure the second victory.