A Taboo-ed Relationship: Caleb Hoke and Allison Braun

By Barbara Maningat

Society has an array of unwritten rules for dating relationships – but for Caleb Hoke and Allison Braun, defying some of these general practices has come naturally. Hoke, a sophomore photojournalism major, and Braun, a senior majoring in English and women studies, live together in a one-bedroom apartment in downtown Columbia. They met after a Mizzou LGBTQ Resource Center event Hoke’s freshman year and have been together for just over one year. Hoke leads a transgender discussion group with the Resource Center and Braun helps more with event logistics and training. Despite the age difference, the couple says they’re practically the same person because they spend so much time together and share a sarcastic sense of humor. Although Braun graduates in May, they plan on sticking together.

Missouri softball ends Kansas rivalry with three shutout victories

Story by Barbara Maningat

With two wins on Sunday, the No. 12 Missouri softball team took a three-game series from Big 12 rival Kansas by a combined score of 24-0.

The games took the all-time border war record to 63-40 in favor of Missouri. The Tigers have recorded seven straight shutout victories and are on a 14-game winning streak. They have only allowed three runs over the 14 game span.

Overall, the Tigers are satisfied with how they ended the era.

“We definitely wanted to come out and show them how good we are. Go out on a good note,” senior Ashley Fleming said. “I don’t know if they’ll end up playing them in the regular season next year or not, but conference-wise this is the last time, so I don’t think we could’ve done it any better than we did.

Kansas struggled to respond to the 24 Missouri runs on the series and could only deliver 10 hits.

Kelsi Jones and Fleming led the Tigers. Each player recorded game-ending home runs in run-rule victories. Jones finished the series with a team high six RBIs, two runs and two hits. Fleming went 4-for-11 with three runs and three RBIs.

Jones contributions were clear on paper, but her teammates also took notice.

“To come in and pinch hit on Friday and to hit a home run, that’s pretty big and then she came up big again for us today,” Chelsea Thomas said. “So that confidence building, building into the next couple weekends, is going to be huge.”

Doubleheader Game 1, 5-0 Missouri

In the first game of the doubleheader, Chelsea Thomas threw a shutout. The win improved her record to 10-0 on the season. Jenna Marston and Fleming each went 2-for-3 and scored one run each. Lindsey Muller added two RBIs on one hit.

The Tigers took an early three run lead in the first inning. Corrin Genovese drew a walk and advanced to second on a line drive from Fleming. Nicole Hudson then reached first on a fielding error by Jayhawk first baseman Marissa Ingle and advanced to second. Genovese scored an unearned run on the same play to put Missouri on the board. A wild pitch by Alecia Pille allowed Fleming to come home for another unearned Tiger run. The pitch put Hudson in scoring position. Muller closed the inning with a sacrifice ground out to shortstop Mariah Montgomery to score Hudson.

The game slowed down until the bottom of the fourth inning. Marston singled up the middle and advanced to second after Genovese was hit by a pitch. Muller recorded her second RBI scoring Marston with a single to left field.

In the fourth inning, Mackenzie Sykes singled to right field and advanced to third off an Ashtin Stephens double. Sykes added another Tiger run when Jenna Marston grounded out to second base.

Doubleheader Game 2, 9-0 Missouri

Kristin Nottelmann pitched a season high six shutout innings. Nottelman struck out seven batters and allowed only two hits. This win improved her record to 6-2. Fleming and Jones led the game with three RBIs apiece.

The Tigers churned out six runs in the bottom of the third inning, while the Jayhawks struggled from the mound. Kansas pitcher Morgan Druhan issued a walk to Genovese and pushed Marston to second. Fleming then smacked a line drive double deep into center field, scoring Marston for the first run of the game. Druhan then issued walks to Hudson and Muller that scored Genovese and loaded the bases. A sacrifice fly by Princess Krebs sent Fleming home for a 3-0 lead before Jones homered to right field. Krebs gave Mizzou a 6-0 advantage.

The score would remain at 6-0 until the bottom of the sixth inning. The Tigers looked for just two runs to end the game. Marston added one when she doubled then scored off a hit by Angela Randazzo.

Then, in similar fashion to the game-winning home run by Jones in game one of the series, Fleming homered to right field for two RBIs and closed the game 9-0.

“It felt good. It was good to end the weekend on a hit like that,” Fleming said.

Missouri now sits at a 20-3 and 3-0 in conference play. The Tigers take on Iowa in another doubleheader on Wednesday at 3 p.m.

Mizzou defeats Kansas for 13-game winning streak

By Barbara Maningat

Missouri softball kicked off Big 12 conference play with another run-rule victory, defeating rival Kansas 10-0. Chelsea Thomas got the win, giving her a 9-1 record on the season. She pitched four and one-third shutout innings before allowing one hit in the top of the fifth. Lindsey Muller led the team and went 3-for-3 with one RBI while Corrin Genovese and Nicole Hudson each recorded two hits. In the last play of the game, freshman Kelsi Jones drove in three RBIs with her third home run of the season in the bottom of the sixth inning, helping the Tigers end the Jayhawks’ 20-game winning streak.

Due to Saturday’s weather, the Tigers and Jayhawks will play a double header on Sunday, starting at noon.

No. 12 Missouri softball sweeps Demarini Invitational with six run-rule victories

Story by Barbara Maningat

View this article on KBIA Sports Extra

Power hitting pushed No. 12 Missouri softball to close out an undefeated record at the DeMarini Invitational with its fifth and sixth straight run-rule victories against Alcorn State, 9-0, and Northern Illinois, 8-0. Against the Alcorn State Braves, Kelsi Jones joined Lindsey Ubrun as the second Mizzou player to record at least two home runs in one game. Corrin Genovese hit her second home run of the season against the Braves. Princess Krebs continued the home run trend with one against the Northern Illinois Huskies.

Missouri v. Alcorn State

Genovese started strong in the first, with a home run to give Missouri the 1-0 lead. A Genovese triple in the second scored Jones and Rachel Hay. Kayla Kingsley took her home with a base hit.

Clutch pitching by freshman Bailey Erwin stranded two Braves on base and kept the score at 4-0 at the top of the third. Jones then added the sixth run with her first homer of the day.

In the fourth inning, Jones delivered with a powerful grand slam sending Mackenzie Sykes, Kelsea Roth and Angela Randazzo home. Erwin sealed the shutout in the fifth after striking out a batter with two threatening Braves on base.

Jones also drove in five runs, the most RBIs recorded by a single Tiger in one game this season. Genovese went 2-for-2 with two runs and a career-high three RBIs. The shutout win improved Erwin to a 4-0, with three strikeouts and only four hits.

Missouri v. Northern Illinois

The Tigers and the Huskies put runners on base in the first two innings but did not light up the scoreboard until the bottom of the fourth. The Huskies came close to recording a run when Huskie Jennifer Barnette hit a single with players on first and second. Hudson got the out when the runner tried to run for home, preventing a Tiger deficit. In the bottom of the second, the Tigers struggled to hit players home, leaving six batters stranded.

The game changer came when Krebs hit a line drive to center that put her on base with one out. Mackenzie Sykes then hit a fly ball into right field recording her first career triple, which scored Krebs. Sykes scored after a wild pitch, putting Missouri on the board 2-0.

The Tigers found momentum and batted in six more players in the fifth off of five hits. Defensive errors contributed to three Tiger runs to lead off the inning. Kelsea Roth drew a walk and ran home after Hudson hit a double. A base hit by Angela Randazzo sent Hudson running for third, but Huskie catcher Erika Oswald missed the attempted out at third with a wide throw into left field that helped Hudson contribute a 5-0 cushion.

And then Krebs capitalized. She scored Muller off her first home run of the season. Sykes got on base and advanced to third by the time Ashley Fleming batted her in with a line drive to center.

Krebs finished 3-for-3 with a homer, two runs and two RBIs. This win gave Kristin Nottelmann a 5-2 record with six strikeouts and only three hits.

Missouri softball will head to Fayetteville on Wednesday to face Arkansas at 1 p.m. The Tigers face their first Big 12 competition when they host Kansas in a three game series starting on Friday at 6 p.m.

Information from MU Athletics was used in this report.