More hot air: Missouri crushes BYU in regional softball opener

There’s been a lot of hot air surrounding the Missouri softball team in recent weeks, but it got ridiculous Thursday in the opening round of NCAA regional play at University Field.

In the bottom of the second inning, a purple and black hot-air balloon with a banner in support of embattled Tigers coach Ehren Earleywine appeared beyond the left-field wall, continuing west over the A.L. Gustin Golf Course.

As the nylon behemoth drifted toward right field, sophomore Amanda Sanchez launched a grand slam over the right-field foul pole.

“I saw it when it was in left field, and I couldn’t quite make out what it was. But then everyone started cheering, so I figured it was the ‘Love Coach E’ symbol,” Sanchez said. “It was an awesome moment to capture right there. It symbolized a lot, just how much Coach E means to us.”

Sanchez’s monster shot, which cleared the bleachers and perhaps even Carrie Francke Drive, capped a six-run outburst.

It also provided the back-breaking blow — amid a truly surreal backdrop — for No. 15 seed Missouri’s 9-0 victory against BYU.

“I called it, actually, so I take credit for it,” sophomore ace Paige Lowary said of her reaction to seeing the hot-air balloon and Sanchez’s home run that followed. “I said, ‘Amanda’s going to hit a grand slam here,’ because everyone was really pumped up when they saw that.”

The Tigers, 40-14, already led 3-0 against Cougars ace McKenna Bull, whom Earleywine called the best pitcher in the regional — other than Lowary, he clarified Thursday — only one day earlier.

Bull had no answer for the Tigers, who are hosting a regional for the eighth straight season and perhaps the final time in Earleywine’s tenure.

Earleywine remains under investigation by the university amid allegations of verbal abuse directed at players.

His job appears to be in jeopardy despite leading the Tigers to the postseason during each of his 10 seasons and establishing the program among the nation’s elite with a 451-152 record during that time.

Mizzou has now won at least 40 games in nine of Earleywine’s 10 seasons.

“Before all this stuff came about, you just don’t know how the community and the fans and people feel about you,” Earleywine said. “But after they wear T-shirts and the hot-air balloon and all this different stuff, it’s humbling. It’s the greatest compliment that you could give a coach to do those types of things for him. I’m just really honored.”

Missouri jumped in front in the first inning when senior Emily Crane singled with one out, stole second and scored on Sanchez’s single to first base.

An inning later, the floodgates opened.

Freshman Regan Nash slapped a one-out double down the left-field line and scored when freshman Kolby Romaine blasted an RBI double to deep center.

Senior Taylor Gadbois followed with an infield single, and Crane reached on catcher’s interference to load the bases.

Bull then issued a four-pitch walk to senior Sami Fagan, bumping the Tigers’ lead to 3-0 before the balloon appeared and Sanchez sent a 2-1 fastball into the stratosphere.

“Never mind the hot-air balloon, I was just glad she hit a grand slam,” Earleywine said. “That’s what we’re here to do is to win this regional.”

Gadbois and Crane each added an RBI single in the third inning, giving Mizzou a nine-run lead — enough to invoke the NCAA mercy rule.

Lowary allowed a leadoff single, but retired the next nine Cougars. She scattered two hits and two walks with five strikeouts in the five-inning win.

“I felt really good,” Lowary said. “The team backed me up with a lot of runs, so I just went out there and did my thing.”

Sanchez’s five RBIs tied her career-high against Northern Iowa in April 2015. She was one of four Tigers with two hits, including Gadbois, Crane and Nash.

Nebraska 3, Louisville 2

Nebraska started the Columbia regional with a walk-off win in the opening game against Louisville.

The Cornhuskers grabbed the early lead on sophomore Madi Unzinger’s two-run, second-inning home run.

The Cardinals knotted the game in the top of the third, drawing even on senior Hailey Smith’s two-run single.

The game remained 2-2 until the seventh inning when Nebraska junior MJ Knighten ripped the game-winning RBI single through a drawn-in infield with one out and the bases loaded.

Louisville, 35-16, intentionally walked Olathe East graduate Kiki Stokes, who also singled twice, to create a force at any base, but Knighten still delivered the eighth walk-off win of the season for coach Rhonda Revelle’s squad.

Nebraska, 34-19, plays Missouri at 1 p.m. Friday followed by BYU, 35-20, versus Louisville at 3:30 p.m.

The loser of the first game and winner of the second meet in an elimination game at 6 p.m. and the regional wraps up with the championship game (or games) on Saturday.

This story was originally published May 19, 2016 at 9:14 PM with the headline "More hot air: Missouri crushes BYU in regional softball opener."