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Kangaroos Host Bison In Summit League Action Friday
3/19/2009 9:00:00 AM | Softball
Kansas City, Mo. -- UMKC is home for the second week in a row and will play host to Summit League opponent North Dakota State. The Kangaroos and the Bison will play a three-game series beginning on Friday, March 20 at 3:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. The pair will wrap up the series on Saturday, with the first pitch slated for noon.
UMKC enters the series with a 5-18 overall record and is looking to gets it first league wins against North Dakota State. The Kangaroos were swept by Western Illinois last weekend, to fall to 0-3 in the Summit League.
Leading the Kangaroos with 22 hits is third baseman Betsy Hanley. Hanley is batting .328 so far this season. The freshman has three doubles and one triple on the year. Not far behind her is first baseman Chelsea Hartwig. Hartwig also has 22 hits on the season, with three doubles and leads the team with four home runs.
Taya Upkes is still proving to stand tall on the mound for UMKC with a 3.20 ERA. Upkes has appeared in seven games this season and in 15.1 innings of worked she has allowed 15 runs to score off of 25 hits, with only seven of those runs being earned. The sophomore has only walked three batters and recorded 15 strike outs. Sam Hurst is still leading the Kangaroos in strikeouts this season with 48 in 56.1 innings.
Opponent Preview
North Dakota State will come to Kansas City with a 2-1 Summit League record following a 2-1 weekend against Southern Utah. The Bison defeated the Thunderbirds 5-2 and 9-7 and then dropped game three of the series, 5-4. The Bison are currently 12-8 this season but will play four games against Nebraska and Creighton before taking on the Kangaroos.
The Bison are led by Elisa Victa with a .420 batting average in 20 games played. Victa has scored 13 runs off of 29 hits, including three doubles and 10 RBIs. Leading North Dakota State on the mound is Andi Padilla with a 2.84 ERA. In 76.1 innings of work, Padilla has allowed 69 hits and 34 runs to score, with 31 of those being earned. She has given up 44 walks, struck out 45 batters and is 9-4 on the season.
Last time out for the Kangaroos....
Kangaroos Swept in League Opener by Westerwinds
Game One: Western Illinois 4 ? UMKC 3 (9)
The Westerwinds got on the scoreboard first, scoring one run in the top of the third but the Kangaroos would get the sticks going in the fourth to tie the game at 1-1.
Kelly Fischer led off the inning with a single to shortstop and moved to second on a throwing error by the Western Illinois shortstop. Betsy Hanley would score Fischer with a double to right center for the RBI.
Western Illinois struck again the fifth and sixth, scoring one run in each to take a 3-1 lead headed into the bottom of the sixth, enter Slagle who hit her first homerun of the day. Slagle sent one sailing with two outs in the bottom of the sixth to score Rhiannon Mendez to get the `Roos within one, 3-2.
The two would battle it out in extra innings, with the Westerwinds finally scoring in the top of the ninth. The Western Illinois defense was able to hold UMKC in the bottom of the ninth to secure its first Summit League victory.
Samantha Hurst pitched a complete nine innings for the Kangaroos and took the loss. Hurst gave up five hits and four runs, with only one of those runs being earned and retired six batters. UMKC had a rough day on the field, finishing the game with five errors.
Game Two: Western Illinois 5 ? UMKC 2
At the conclusion of the sixth inning, Western Illinois held a 5-0 lead over the Kangaroos following a three-run third inning. UMKC got the offensive lift it needed in the sixth with a lead-off double to left field from Hanley. Slagle then followed that up with a bomb over the center fielder's head to put the `Roos on the board, 5-2.
But the UMKC streak would be brief, as they were held hitless in the bottom of the seventh.
Nicholle Ellis and Taya Upkes were on the mound for UMKC, with Ellis taking the loss and dropping to 3-3 on the season. Ellis gave up five runs off of 10 hits, with four of those runs being earned. Ellis retired three batters while Upkes finished with two strikeouts in 1.1 innings of work.
Game Three: WIU 10 - UMKC 2 (5)
The Western Illinois bats got to work right away in the first inning, as they scored four runs off of five hits to take a early 4-0 lead.
Despite a rough top of the first inning for the Kangaroos, they were able to counter with their own offense in the bottom of the first. Kelly Fischer reached on a fielder's choice and then moved to second on an Amanda Evans single to left field. Both runners would advance on a passed ball by the Western Illinois catcher. Chelsea Hartwig was able to post a sacrifice fly out to left field to score Fischer and get the Kangaroos on the scoreboard. Betsy Hanley would place another hit out to center field to bring Evans home and cut the Westerwinds lead, 4-2.
Western Illinois was able to string together three runs in the second and two runs in the third for a commanding 9-2 lead. The Westerwinds tacked on another run in the fifth and were able to hold the Kangaroos scoreless at the conclusion of the fifth to call the game. UMKC had opportunities to score in the second and fourth innings, leaving two runners stranded on base.
UMKC enters the series with a 5-18 overall record and is looking to gets it first league wins against North Dakota State. The Kangaroos were swept by Western Illinois last weekend, to fall to 0-3 in the Summit League.
Leading the Kangaroos with 22 hits is third baseman Betsy Hanley. Hanley is batting .328 so far this season. The freshman has three doubles and one triple on the year. Not far behind her is first baseman Chelsea Hartwig. Hartwig also has 22 hits on the season, with three doubles and leads the team with four home runs.
Taya Upkes is still proving to stand tall on the mound for UMKC with a 3.20 ERA. Upkes has appeared in seven games this season and in 15.1 innings of worked she has allowed 15 runs to score off of 25 hits, with only seven of those runs being earned. The sophomore has only walked three batters and recorded 15 strike outs. Sam Hurst is still leading the Kangaroos in strikeouts this season with 48 in 56.1 innings.
Opponent Preview
North Dakota State will come to Kansas City with a 2-1 Summit League record following a 2-1 weekend against Southern Utah. The Bison defeated the Thunderbirds 5-2 and 9-7 and then dropped game three of the series, 5-4. The Bison are currently 12-8 this season but will play four games against Nebraska and Creighton before taking on the Kangaroos.
The Bison are led by Elisa Victa with a .420 batting average in 20 games played. Victa has scored 13 runs off of 29 hits, including three doubles and 10 RBIs. Leading North Dakota State on the mound is Andi Padilla with a 2.84 ERA. In 76.1 innings of work, Padilla has allowed 69 hits and 34 runs to score, with 31 of those being earned. She has given up 44 walks, struck out 45 batters and is 9-4 on the season.
Last time out for the Kangaroos....
Kangaroos Swept in League Opener by Westerwinds
Game One: Western Illinois 4 ? UMKC 3 (9)
The Westerwinds got on the scoreboard first, scoring one run in the top of the third but the Kangaroos would get the sticks going in the fourth to tie the game at 1-1.
Kelly Fischer led off the inning with a single to shortstop and moved to second on a throwing error by the Western Illinois shortstop. Betsy Hanley would score Fischer with a double to right center for the RBI.
Western Illinois struck again the fifth and sixth, scoring one run in each to take a 3-1 lead headed into the bottom of the sixth, enter Slagle who hit her first homerun of the day. Slagle sent one sailing with two outs in the bottom of the sixth to score Rhiannon Mendez to get the `Roos within one, 3-2.
The two would battle it out in extra innings, with the Westerwinds finally scoring in the top of the ninth. The Western Illinois defense was able to hold UMKC in the bottom of the ninth to secure its first Summit League victory.
Samantha Hurst pitched a complete nine innings for the Kangaroos and took the loss. Hurst gave up five hits and four runs, with only one of those runs being earned and retired six batters. UMKC had a rough day on the field, finishing the game with five errors.
Game Two: Western Illinois 5 ? UMKC 2
At the conclusion of the sixth inning, Western Illinois held a 5-0 lead over the Kangaroos following a three-run third inning. UMKC got the offensive lift it needed in the sixth with a lead-off double to left field from Hanley. Slagle then followed that up with a bomb over the center fielder's head to put the `Roos on the board, 5-2.
But the UMKC streak would be brief, as they were held hitless in the bottom of the seventh.
Nicholle Ellis and Taya Upkes were on the mound for UMKC, with Ellis taking the loss and dropping to 3-3 on the season. Ellis gave up five runs off of 10 hits, with four of those runs being earned. Ellis retired three batters while Upkes finished with two strikeouts in 1.1 innings of work.
Game Three: WIU 10 - UMKC 2 (5)
The Western Illinois bats got to work right away in the first inning, as they scored four runs off of five hits to take a early 4-0 lead.
Despite a rough top of the first inning for the Kangaroos, they were able to counter with their own offense in the bottom of the first. Kelly Fischer reached on a fielder's choice and then moved to second on an Amanda Evans single to left field. Both runners would advance on a passed ball by the Western Illinois catcher. Chelsea Hartwig was able to post a sacrifice fly out to left field to score Fischer and get the Kangaroos on the scoreboard. Betsy Hanley would place another hit out to center field to bring Evans home and cut the Westerwinds lead, 4-2.
Western Illinois was able to string together three runs in the second and two runs in the third for a commanding 9-2 lead. The Westerwinds tacked on another run in the fifth and were able to hold the Kangaroos scoreless at the conclusion of the fifth to call the game. UMKC had opportunities to score in the second and fourth innings, leaving two runners stranded on base.
Players Mentioned
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P/UTIL
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P
/ SoftballSB Highlights vs. #3 South Dakota
Wednesday, May 07
SB Highlights @ South Dakota (Game Three)
Saturday, May 03
SB Highlights @ South Dakota (Game Two)
Friday, May 02
SB Highlights @ South Dakota (Game One)
Friday, May 02