Shocker SB v Missouri

[flyingMoose]

The midweek matchup this week is a DH against Mizzou on Wednesday with a start time of 3pm.

The Tigers have a record of 17-14 and are 6-6 in the SEC. Their record against RV or better teams (excluding the SEC - it seems everybody in the SEC is ranked) is 1-3.

The Missouri offense is led by Jazmyn Rollin (OPS of 1.300 and six homers), Geana Torres (1.160), and Brooke Wilmes (.992). Kimberly Wert has eleven homers.

Most of the starts for the Tigers belong to Madi Norman (ERA of 3.12 and WHIP of 1.39) and Cassie Gasper (2.89 and 1.53). Eli Daniel (2.77 and 1.50) is the designated reliever. Missouri finished their conference series with Tennessee on Monday evening, so the Shockers may see Nalani Scates or Summer Shockley who both have limited appearances.

The Shockers are now 21-14, 2-4. Offensive leaders are Butters (1.117 and seven homers), Ryleigh (1.054 and five homers), and Neleigh (1.008).

Pitchers for the Shockers, in order of innings pitched, are Erin (3.41and 1.20), Caitlin (3.20 and 1.53), and Hailey (2.60 and 1.16).

[1972Shocker]

Looks like Caitlyn is scheduled to get the start in Game 1. I have my fingers crossed.

Madi Norman will start for Missouri.

[1972Shocker]

Caitlyn probably walked the 1st batter but got her to swing at a pitch down and well out of the strike zone on a 3-1 count and got a slow chopper halfway to 1st base that Ryleigh make a nice fielding play on and tagged the runner out. Then she did walk the 2nd batter on 5 pitches. Not a good start but Caitlyn settled down to get the next two batters to strand the player she walked at 2nd base.

Caitlyn set the Tigers down in order in the 2nd with the help of a very find grab of a line drive just before it hit the ground by Asea Webber in straight away center. The other 2 outs were cans of corn to left and to right. That's okay but generally, if Caitlyn is on her game, she gets a lot of ground outs. But at this point will take anything we can get.

In the 3rd a walk, wild pitch and a walk put runners at 1st and 2nd with not outs. Caitlyn may have had the 2nd batter struck out but didn't get the call on a very close pitch at the knees. She is just not consistently around the plate enough to get the close calls. Caitlyn walks the next batter on 4 pitches to load the bases with no outs. Caitlyn jumps ahead on the next batter 0-2 before throwing 4 straight out of the zone to force in the 1st run of the game. Brings up Mizzou's best hitter. Caitlyn gets the 1st out on a pop up to 2nd. The next batter hit a sharp grounder short that Laurie went to her knee to field. Laurie made a nice quck throw to Kaylee for the out and 2nd and Kaylee threw a bit up the right field side to 1st and Ryleigh made a great stretch for thee inning ending double play. Pretty good escape by Caitlyn but she needs to avoid putting herself in those situations. The Shockers are pretty good defensively but just like every other team before them they still have not figured out how to catch a walk.

Bailee Nickerson ties it up in the bottom of the 3rd with it of a wind-aided home run to left.

Caitlyn jump right back into the fire giving up a single and walk to open the 4th inning. That does it for Caitlyn. Unfortunately, she has gotten to the point that throwing strkes just seems to be accidental. Hailey Martinez come on in relief. A wild pitch on a 1-2 count moves the runners to 2nd and 3rd. A grounder to Laurie at short resulted in an out at 1st with the runner breaking for home as soon as Laurie threw but Ryleigh made a strong throw to the plate and the Shocks get their 2nd double play of the game. Haley then induced a fly ball to Asea in center to end the inning.

Laurie Decker makes an error in at short on a ball hit right at her to open the 5th then with 2 outs made a wild throw trying to get a force at 2nd (should have just gone to 1st) allowing 2 additional runs to score. Mizzou plates 4 in the inning (3 directly attributable to Laurie) to take a 5-1 lead.

Mizzou tacks on 2 more in the 6th to go up 7-1.

The Shocks get 2 out singles from Ryliegh and Laurie in the bottom of the 6th to put runners on the corners and prompt a pitching change by Mizzou as they bring in Eli Daniel to face Neleigh Herring. Neleigh strikes out to end the inning.

Shockers don't do anything in the 7th.

Mizzou 7 - 5 - 1 - 7
Shocks 1 - 5 - 3 - 6

Not a clean game at all for the Shocks. 8 walks, 1 hit batter and 3 errors with 2 of the errors proving quite costly.

[1972Shocker]

So what do the Shocks do with Caitlyn. Let her keep pitching mid-week games in the hopes she will figure things out at some point? This is has been going on long enough that maybe it would be best just to shut her down form pitching and hope that maybe the muscle memory she has developed (which isn't very good) will fade and then crank her up again next fall and see what happens. In the meantime use her as a pinch runner, pinch hitter and maybe as a DP. Perhaps something less drastic could work. I just don't know what that would be. But she isn't doing the Shocks any good and I'm not sure continuing to run her out to the circle is doing her much good either. Right know her confidence has got to be at a very low level.

[1972Shocker]

In Game 2 Erin McDonald, as expected, gets he start for the Shocks. Cassie Gaspar in n the cirlce for Mizzou.

Asea Webber stakes the Shockers to a 2-run lead with a home run to right center one batter after Wylie had led off the Shocker 3rd with an infield single.

Mizzou cut the lead in half with a solo home run to left center in the 4th.

After 4 complete the Shocks lead 2-1.

Erin kind of loses it in the 6th. A 3-run home run followed by a solo home run puts Mizzou on top 5-2.

Asea left the game in the top of the 6th and was replaced in center by Kasidee Eck. Asea seemed to have done something to her right shoulder swinging the bat in the Shocker 5th. I believe that was that shoulder she had surgery this past off-season. Hopefully, she hasn't done anything too serious to that shoulder.

Laurie goes yard in the bottom of the 6th with a line drive over the left center field fence. Probably much harder hit than either of the Mizzou homers in top of the inning but Laurie's didn't have much change to be helped by the wind. Mizzou makes a pitching change with Eli Daniel on in relief. Daniel retries the next 3 Shockers. Heading to the 7th with Mizzou up 5-3.

After Erin throws 2 balls to open the 7th HCKB goes to Lauren Mills to finish the inning. Erin gets 2 outs than gave up a double and home run to make it 7-3.

Shocks go down in order in the 7th.

The Shocks have now lost 7 of their last 8, all at home. Clearly a team that is struggling mightily and with their pitching deficiencies this will be tough to turn around. We'll have to wait and see what the situation with Asea's shoulder is.