By ERIN BASS

Associate Sports Editor

The Lady Techster softball team traveled to the University of Missouri this past weekend to compete in the Tiger Invitational and finished with a 2-2 record.

After a 3-1 loss to the Centenary Ladies last Thursday, the Lady Techsters (16-18) went up against the University of Missouri-Kansas City Kangaroos (4-18) and the No. 18 ranked University of Missouri Tigers (24-2).

"We were pretty disappointed with our loss to Centenary, and we know we are a better team than we showed that night," Tech head coach Sarah Dawson said. "But by the time we got to Missouri the girls were focused and knew what had to be done."

Going into the tournament with six wins out of their last ten games, the Lady Techsters shutout the Kangaroos with a 3-0 win Saturday morning.

Junior pitcher Kristin Rupp allowed only three hits and one walk while striking out 15 batters.

Senior Amber Miles, sophomore Carly White and freshman Regan Clark provided the three Lady Techster runs.

In their first meeting with the Tigers, the Lady Techsters brought home the first run in the bottom of the second inning but then allowed Missouri 10 runs in the top of the third.

The Tigers then capped the game off with another run in the fourth that brought the final score to 11-1.

"We went into the first game against UMKC fired up," sophomore Ashley Cameron said. "In the first game against Missouri we lost our momentum, but the second time we played we held them off until the sixth inning."

Already shutout seven times this season, the Lady Techsters denied the Tigers that pleasure, scoring one run in both games against the Tigers.

The final score for the second contest against Missouri was 6-1.

The last game between the Lady Techsters and Kangaroos ended up 2-1, when senior Lindsey Meadows pitched all seven innings and allowed only five hits while striking out six.

The Lady Techsters blasted two home runs against UMKC and added to their record-breaking home run tally, which is now 21. The Techsters broke the record of 18 homeruns set in 1989 on March 13 against Mississippi Valley State at the Birmingham State Southern Tournament, where they finished second.

"Our hitting is progressively getting better, and I think we did a good job adjusting, considering we played a Top 25 team," assistant and hitting coach Sami Strinz said.

Along with their hitting advancing, Dawson is looking to improve the girls' mental game as well.

"We are still looking for consistency in our game," Dawson said. "We have accomplished getting the physical part down and are getting the girls to apply the tools they have acquired to make the adjustments they need to make."

Hopefully those tools will come into play Wednesday afternoon as the Lady Techsters travel to Nacogdoches, Texas, to play the Stephen F. Austin Ladyjacks (9-16), who have won five of their last six games.