Kansas City
Colorado State
Slagle Posts First Home Run Of the 2009 Season, UMKC 0-2 After First Day In New Mexico Tournament
2/6/2009 8:45:00 PM | Softball
Las Cruces, N.M. -- The UMKC softball team opened up the 2009 season this weekend in Las Cruces, N.M., at the Hotel Encanto De Las Cruces Tournament. The Kangaroos are 0-2 after day one of the tournament, falling to Colorado State, 6-5, and Ohio State, 12-1. Carli Slage hit the first UMKC homer of the season and scored the lone run against the Buckeyes. Amanda Evans led all players, batting .500 on the day with three hits and one run, while freshman Chelsea Hartwig posted three hits, including two doubles and two RBIs.
Colorado State 6 - UMKC 5
The Kangaroos put a run on the scoreboard first, taking a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Kelly Fischer walked and moved to second after Evans was hit by a pitch. Fischer then scored via a Hartwig RBI single, putting UMKC up, 1-0. Colorado State, however, answered with two runs in the first inning to take a 2-1 lead.
The UMKC sticks would get right back to work in the second, as they tacked on two more runs to put the 'Ross up 3-2. Ashley Whiteside crossed the plate for the team, after landing on first off of a fielder's choice, and Kaelene Curry scored after reaching first on a error by the Rams' second baseman.
Colorado State, however, took a 5-3 lead in the fifth inning, after the Rams scored three runs in the second and one in the fifth inning.
The Kangaroos tried to rally in the seventh but were only able to drive in two runs off of three hits. Hartwig laced a double to center field to score Fischer, who singled. Evans then scored the second run after she was forced in after Michaela Hupp walk. Colorado State the closed the door on the UMKC comeback, as it handed the Kangaroos their first loss of the 2009 season.
On the mound for UMKC was freshman Anna Sokolik, earning her first start as a Kangaroo. Sokolik threw six innings and gave up 11 hits and six runs, with two of those runs being earned. Despite striking out two batters, she falls to 0-1 on the season.
Ohio State 12 - UMKC 1
The Buckeyes used a pair of two big innings to secure a 12-1 win over the Kangaroos in the second game of the day. Ohio State scored five runs in the fourth and seven runs in the seventh to take a commanding 12-0 lead.
UMKC wouldn't put a run on the scoreboard until the seventh, when Slagle hit her first home run of the 2009 season.
Sam Hurst and Nicholle Ellis shared the pitching duties for the Kangaroos. Hurst started and threw five innings, giving up six hits and five runs (two earned), while striking out one. Ellis, meanwhile, threw the final two innings, where she gave up seven runs with just two of those runs being earned. Hurst suffered the loss for UMKC to drop her record to 0-1 this season.
The Kangaroos (0-2) will look to get their first win of the season tomorrow, as they'll face Ohio at 12:30 p.m.
