SB: Shocker Classic

[flyingMoose]

Kenzie hits the leadoff hitter in the fifth for Missouri State and wild pitches her to second. A double scores the runner, and Alison relieves Kenzie. 2-0 at the moment. Strikeout, foul out, walk, strike out. Shocks trail 2-0 in the middle of the fifth.

With one out, Krystin gets an infield single. Getting to Syd and the top of the order with only one out. Fly out and Addie reaches on a bunt single. Interesting choice. Lauren flys out. Bears 2-0 after five.

Ten fly ball outs for the Shocks. I am not counting a line drive in the infield.

Leadoff single in the sixth goes nowhere for the Bears. Sami singles with two outs, but Taylor fans. Now eleven flyouts. 2-0 Bears as we go to the seventh.

[Stickboy46]

So many pop ups

[flyingMoose]

Single and a sac bunt to start the seventh for Missouri State. A strikeout and flyout follow.

Lainee pops out (twelve). Camryn pinch-hits for Krystin and strikes out. Syd singles to center. Addie singles on an 0-2 pitch. Hope springs eternal. A gapper will tie this. An error on the first baseman, and Addie is at third with Syd scoring. Zoe flys out (thirteen).

Missouri State 2-1 Shockers


Pitching is adequate but not good enough tonight. Hitting definitely not good enough. Never (or only rarely) got on top of the rise ball it appears.

Nice job by the almost-hometown kid. Another example of the Senior Trip, although this trip was not very far.

[shoxlax]

Failure to adjust cost them. Need to win tomorrow to consider the weekend a success.

[1972Shocker]

That one takes a little shine of the sweep of Nebraska. I agree with shoxlax that a win tomorrow is required to feel okay about this weekend.

[flyingMoose]

RV Nebraska v Missouri State

Gracie has this start also. Top of the first: single, homer, single. Okay, maybe she was sharper last night, but still.

She is relieved in the third when the Huskers score another two runs.


Nebraska 7-2 Missouri State

[flyingMoose]

Game Four

Missouri State at 23 Shockers

Lineup: The defensive version of the Latest with Krystin at 3B. Lo is in the circle. Makenzi Swick (14.1 IP, 1.47, 1.36) is pitching for the Bears.


After a strikeout to open the first, a single and double have Missouri State threatening. Another single brings both runners home. A sac bunt moves the runner to second, an interesting option for the fifth-place batter. Another single moves the runner to third with the batter getting to second on the throw home. A flyout for the third out. 2-0 in the middle of the first. This is not a comfortable start.

McKenzie Vaughan, the DP, is in the circle (33.1 IP, 4.20, 1.44). Swick will likely re-enter if Vaughan runs into trouble.

Lauren doubles with two outs, and a single by Zoe moves her to third. A single by Lolo scores Lauren and moves Zoe to third. Sami lines out. 2-1 Bears after one.

Three outs for Missouri State in the second and two Ks for Lo. Much better.

With one out, Lainee smacks a game-tying homer. Krystin follows with a single but is forced by Syd. Addison singles, and an infield single by Lauren loads the bases with two outs. Zoe's comebacker to the pitcher ends the inning. 2-2 after two.

Three up, three down again for the Bears in the third.

Lolo opens the Shocker third with a double, and Lainee moves her to third base with a two-out single. Krystin's nice hitting continue with a single to drive home Lolo. Krystin is fast becoming the offensive option at 3B, too. Sydney scores two more with a triple, and Swick re-enters to pitch with the score 5-2. Addie walks, and a bunt single by Lauren moves both runners, another run scoring. Lauren steals second, and Zoe drives in two more runs with a single. Lolo comes to the plate for the second time this inning. Her single sends Zoe to third, but Sami flys out. All of the damage after two are out. Shockers lead 8-2 after three complete.

A hit Bear is wild pitched to second, but she stays there.

Shelby Houchlei enters the circle for Missouri State. Her numbers are 12.0 IP, 6.42, 2.25. Taylor greets her with a solo homer. Lainee walks and Krystin singles, her third hit of the day. A single by Sydney scores Lainee. A throwing error on Addie's ground ball load the bases with nobody out. Lauren singles to drive home another run and the bases remain loaded. A groundout by Zoe moves all the runners up, scoring one more. Caroline pinch-hits for Lolo, and her groundout scores another. Siera, normally the designated pinch runner for Lolo, pinch-hits for Sami and flies out. Shockers lead 13-2 after four.

Siera remains in the lineup at 2B for Sami, and Alex is now in the circle. Three popups and we have a ball game.

Missouri State 2-13(5) Shockers


After a rough first inning, Lo settled in and finished well in her four innings. She gave up four hits, all in that first inning, and struck out four.

The Shocks had eighteen hits. If you did not have at least three, you don't make the recap. :) Lauren led the hit parade with four, while Lolo and Krystin each had three. Sydney and Zoe both had three RBI. The home runs were by Lainee and Taylor.

[Stickboy46]

Well this is a night and day difference from yesterday

[1972Shocker]

Well this is a night and day difference from yesterday

Yep. That's more like it. Not sure what happened against Missouri State yesterday. Sounds like they got a steady diet of rise balls that they could lay off of and couldn't get on top of.

[shoxlax]

Overall very good weekend.

[1972Shocker]

Overall very good weekend.

If you include the Stanford game I would call it a somewhat mixed results week. Some very good (2 wins over Nebraska), some perhaps showing our limitations (Stanford), and some mixed (the split with Missouri State).

A couple of good individual stories. Freshman Taylor Sedlacek homered on Friday, Saturday and Sunday and is now hitting .320 on the season with an OPS of 1.044.

Kristin Nelson after opening the season 0-19 raised her average to by 208 points (to .208) after going 5-5 in the two games vs Missouri State.

On the downside Addie's left arm (shoulder I think, but not sure) seems like it may still be bothering her to some extent base on how she is working that arm between pitches. I am wondeing if maybe that has been an issue to one degree or another all season.

[shoxlax]

If you include the Stanford game I would call it a somewhat mixed results week. Some very good (2 wins over Nebraska), some perhaps showing our limitations (Stanford), and some mixed (the split with Missouri State).

A couple of good individual stories. Freshman Taylor Sedlacek homered on Friday, Saturday and Sunday and is now hitting .320 on the season with an OPS of 1.044.

Kristin Nelson after opening the season 0-19 raised her average to by 208 points (to .208) after going 5-5 in the two games vs Missouri State.

On the downside Addie's left arm (shoulder I think, but not sure) seems like it may still be bothering her to some extent base on how she is working that arm between pitches. I am wondeing if maybe that has been an issue to one degree or another all season.

I wasn’t counting the Stanford game.

[flyingMoose]

... against Missouri State ... [s]ounds like they got a steady diet of rise balls that they could lay off of and couldn't get on top of.

I've noticed on the home run replays on Twitter that most of them appear to be off drops.

[flyingMoose]

Something additional from the Arkansas Field Notes -

There was a play early on (first inning?) where Addie tried to make a sliding catch near the left field line. The ball was called Fair but HCKB asked them to look at a Replay to see if the call was correct. I was not aware that this option was available, and I do not know the parameters. May have to do a little research.

[flyingMoose]

I've noticed on the home run replays on Twitter that most of them appear to be off drops.

Of the six or seven homers on Twitter, one was a high change that Lainee hit out. The rest were drops and one change, none of which was higher than the waist. So if some pitcher can consistently throw the rise for a strike (something you are not normally trying to do), then they might give the Shockers problems. Not having ESPN+, I cannot judge exactly what went on Saturday.