The lights have dimmed and the stage is set ““ quite literally.
The No. 2 Bruin softball team (44-9) will take to the stage Saturday night at 6:30 to face the Missouri Tigers (48-9) in hopes of elevating its chances of advancing to the Women’s College World Series.
And in preparation for this stage, the Bruins have dimmed the lights at Easton Stadium for the first time this year during practice this week.
“It’s a lot different, especially when you hit under the lights, because the ball seems faster,” sophomore leadoff hitter Katie Schroeder said. “And with a 75 mph pitch, it’s just going to seem a lot faster. It’s not something we can’t prepare for, so that’s what we’re doing.”
That 75 mph pitch, hurled by freshman Missouri pitcher Chelsea Thomas, has been a key part of the Tigers’ success. However, the Mizzou staff features four solid pitchers who hurl by commission. The team is ranked 11th in the nation with a collective 1.27 earned run average.
“I don’t remember her throwing 75 mph the last time we played them,” Schroeder said.
Perhaps the reason why is that the Bruins last played the Tigers on March 1, when the Bruins pulled off a breathtaking 2-1 victory in the bottom half of the seventh after Thomas threw a wild pitch that brought sophomore Grace Murray home from third.
That came after a pitching duel in which redshirt sophomore Whitney Baker and Thomas pitched five innings of scoreless ball until Murray brought home the game-winning run.
But the Bruins have gotten better in the batter’s box since that low-scoring affair. It’s common now for the Bruins to score and score quickly.
It happened May 15 against Long Beach State. It happened again on Saturday, when Fresno State battled back to even the score at two until junior Kaila Shull drove in go-ahead runs in the sixth. And it happened yet again on Sunday, when the Bruins struck back for seven runs in the top half of the second after the Bulldogs took a 3-1 lead in the first.
“We’re out to score first and score early and often, but if they were to throw a punch, then our job simply is to punch back,” coach Kelly Inouye-Perez said. “What you’ve seen is our ability to respond, and it’s something that has been really impressive about this team. They don’t get emotional. They simply play seven solid innings of softball.”
The Missouri Tigers have also been solid ““ and speedy. Riding an emotional high after taking down the No. 18 seed DePaul Blue Demons, the Tigers have stolen 127 bases this season, amounting to 2.22 stolen bags per game. Leading the way is sophomore Rhea Taylor, who is ranked seventh in the nation with 35 stolen bases.
“Although speed can play a factor, as long as we execute, catch the ball and throw it accurately, we’ll be fine,” senior Amanda Kamekona said.
And the team has prepared for the weekend with training, lifting, video work and hitting practice. Missouri’s speed has been well-documented.
“Their speed builds momentum for them, and for us our job is to get out and play defense,” Inouye-Perez said. “For our pitching staff, their job is to keep them off the bases so that they’re not able to use their speed to their advantage. If they were to get on, Kaila and our defense is always prepared to stop the run.”