Kangaroos Face Jayhawks In A Doubleheader Tuesday Night
4/13/2009 1:15:00 PM | Softball
Kansas City, Mo. -- The Kangaroos head to Lawrence, Kan., for a midweek doubleheader with the Jayhawks. UMKC will take on Kansas on Tuesday, April 14, with the first pitch slated for 5:00 p.m. The Kangaroos are 14-27 on the year, after going 3-1 in the Dakota's Round Robin Tournament over the weekend.
UMKC went 2-0 on day one, defeating North Dakota, 6-1 and then rallying to beat South Dakota, 7-5. The Kangaroos fell to the Fighting Sioux in a close 3-2 game but were able to remain undefeated against the Coyotes, closing out the tournament with a 5-2 win.
Betsy Hanley leads the `Roos with a .336 batting average in 40 games played. The freshman has scored 13 runs off of 41 hits so far this season. Kelly Fischer continues her dominance at the plate for UMKC with 42 hits and 20 runs scored. She also leads the Kangaroos with nine stolen bases this season.
Taya Upkes will enter the doubleheader with the Jayhawks with a 2.46 ERA and a 2-2 record. In 42.2 innings, Upkes has allowed 24 runs to score off of 56 hits, with only 15 runs being earned. She has walked just 10 batters and retired 30. Senior Sam Hurst leads the `Roos with 95 strikeouts in 105.2 innings of work.
Opponent Preview
Kansas is 14-22 on the year, following a 1-1 split with Oklahoma. Prior to the doubleheader with Oklahoma, Val Chapple was leading the Jayhawks with a .323 batting average. She has scored 18 runs off of 32 hits, including seven doubles, two homeruns and 17 RBIs. Leading Kansas on the mound is Val George with a 2.75 ERA. George has allowed 62 runs to score off of 119 hits, with 48 of those runs being earned in 122 innings. She has walked 36 batters and struck out 130.
Last time out for the Kangaroos....
UMKC Goes 3-1 At Dakota's Round Robin Tournament
Game One: UMKC 6 - UND 1
Betsy Hanley led the `Roos at the plate, scoring two runs off of two hits. UMKC would only need two innings to get the job done, scoring all its runs in the third and fourth innings. The Kangaroos would take a 3-0 lead at the conclusion of third, scoring three runs off of two hits and one Fighting Sioux error.
UMKC would extend its lead in the bottom of the fourth, tacking on three more runs. North Dakota would finally get on the scoreboard in the top of the fifth, but good pitching and solid defense wouldn't allow the Fighting Sioux to get any closer.
Ellis threw five innings and allowed one run to score off of four hits. She walked one and struck out two on the day. Taya Upkes came in at the relief position and closed out the game for the `Roos.
Game Two: UMKC 7 - USD 5
Hanley went three-for-four and Carli Slagle went two-for-four in the 7-5 win over South Dakota. The South Dakota sticks got started early and they held a 5-1 lead at the conclusion of the second. The Coyotes scored three runs in the first and two runs in the second.
In the top of the second, Danielle Bennefeld walked and stole second. She scored off of a Chelsea Hartwig RBI double to right center to get the `Roos on the board.
UMKC would keep the momentum going and battle back, scoring at least one run in the next four innings. At the end of the third inning, the `Roos found themselves down by one, 5-4, following a three-run inning.
The Kangaroos would score one run in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings to take a 7-5 lead. The defense once again held strong and preserved the win for UMKC.
Anna Sokolik started on the mound for UMKC and was relieved in the second by senior pitcher Sam Hurst. Hurst gave up no runs and allowed just two hits in five innings of work. The senior walked one batter and struck out six on the night.
Game Three: UND 3 - UMKC 2
North Dakota jumped out to an early 2-0 lead following the conclusion of the first inning. UMKC got on the scoreboard in the second, scoring two runs off of two hits. Slagle led off the inning with a homerun to left center. Chelsea Hartwig would walk to get another base runner out there for UMKC. Rashonda Stanley would pinch run for Hartwig and steal second. An RBI double from centerfielder Ashley Whiteside would score Stanley and tie the game, 2-2.
The Fighting Sioux were able to score one run in the third and hold the `Roos for the remainder of the game. UMKC would have several chances to score, leaving five runners stranded on base. Despite only allowing three runs to score off of six hits while striking out nine, Hurst would suffer the loss for the Kangaroos.
Game Four: UMKC 5 - USD 2
A three-run fourth inning would send UMKC past South Dakota, 5-2. The Kangaroos finished the weekend 2-0 against the Coyotes. UMKC got on the scoreboard first, taking a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second. Slagle would single to centerfield and move to second on an Amanda Evans walk. Hartwig would fly out and Slagle was able to advance to third on the throw. She would score off of an RBI single by Megan Vicino.
South Dakota tied it up in the top of the third, scoring one run off of one hit, but UMKC would regain the lead in the bottom of the third, with Betsy Hanley scoring after doubling to right center.
The Kangaroos would jump out to a 5-1 lead following the third inning, scoring three runs off of four hits. Vicino, Whiteside and Kaelene Curry would all cross home plate for UMKC.
The Coyotes were able to score one run in the sixth but it wouldn't be enough and the `Roos would hold on for the win. Upkes was on the mound for UMKC and allowed two runs to score off of seven hits. She walked five and struck out six batters to record the win and improve to 2-2 on the season.
