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Kansas City
Furman
Ellis Records Career-High Eight Strikeouts To Send UMKC Past Furman, 4-2
2/15/2009 2:45:00 PM | Softball
Auburn, Ala. -- UMKC wrapped up competition in the Auburn Tiger Invitational with a 4-2 win over Furman on Sunday morning. The Kangaroos improve to 2-7 on the year, while Furman drops to 2-4. Leading the Kangaroos was Chelsea Hartwig who homered in the first inning, posting two hits and scoring one run. Nicholle Ellis pitched a complete game for UMKC and struck out a career-high eight batters
The game against Furman marked the first where UMKC would put a run on the scoreboard first. Ashley Whiteside led off the inning with a double to left field and moved to third on a Kelly Fischer ground out. Whiteside crossed home plate off of sacrifice fly by Amanda Evans to give the Kangaroos a 1-0 lead. The next batter up was Hartwig, and she blasted her third home run of the year to put UMKC up 2-0.
The Furman sticks would come alive in the top of the second, as they would score one run off of two hits.
The Kangaroo defense was able to escape out of the inning with a 2-1 lead, resulting in two runners left stranded on base. Furman tacked on another run in the fourth, tying the game at 2-2. UMKC, held scoreless since the first inning, would awaken in the sixth and drive in two runs. Ellis led off the inning with a walk and Anna Sokolik would pinch run for her. Kaelene Curry laid down a bunt down to move Sokolik to second and a sacrifice bunt from Whiteside would advance the runners one more spot. Fischer then reached first on a fielder's choice, but the play would result in Sokolik being thrown out at home. With runners on second and third, the big bat of Evans delivered an RBI single to score Curry.
UMKC's final run of the inning would come off of a passed ball from the Furman catcher and Fischer would capitalize on it. In the top of the seventh, Ellis struck out the lead-off batter to get the first. The UMKC defense would knock down the last two outs with a ground out and line drive to get its second win over the 2009 season. Ellis gave up just two runs, one of which was earned, and five hits, while only walking two.
Junior Carli Slagle was named to the Tiger Invitational all-tournament team for the outfield. On the weekend, Slagle started and played in all four games for the Kangaroos, batting .400. She had four hits, including two doubles, scored one run and had four RBIs.
The Kangaroos will continue their play down south with the University of Texas-Arlington Tournament. UMKC will play five games beginning on Friday, Feb. 20, with the tournament wrapping up on Sunday, Feb. 22.
