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Kangaroos Host Jackrabbits In Summit League Series
4/17/2009 9:00:00 AM | Softball
Kansas City, Mo. -- The Kangaroos get back into Summit League play with a three-game home series against South Dakota State on Sat., April 18 and Sun., April 19. First pitch for the doubleheader on Sat. is slated for an 11:00 a.m. start.
UMKC is 14-29 on the year following a pair of losses to Kansas on Tues., April 14. The Kangaroos are 4-11 in The Summit League and recorded a pair of wins against league opponent IPFW back on April 4.
At the plate, UMKC is led by Betsy Hanley and Kelly Fischer. Hanley leads UMKC with a .336 batting average and is tied for hits and doubles. The freshman has recorded 43 hits and six doubles. Fischer is batting .301 on the year and has scored 20 runs off of 43 hits. Junior Carli Slagle leads the `Roos with 20 RBIs on the year.
Taya Upkes heads into the series with the Jackrabbits with a 2.70 ERA. She is 2-2 on the season and has thrown in 44 innings. Upkes has allowed 27 runs to score off of 59 hits, with 15 of those runs being earned. She has recorded 30 strikeouts on the year. Senior Sam Hurst still leads in innings pitched, opponent batting average and strikeouts. She has recorded 110 innings of work, held opponents to a .277 batting average and struck out 97 on the year.
Opponent Preview
South Dakota State is 8-29 overall and 5-7 in The Summit League. Ashley Durazo leads the Jackrabbits with a .374 batting average. She has scored 13 runs off of 40 hits, recording seven doubles and two home runs with 18 RBIs. On the mound with a 4.71 ERA is Pam Nicholson. She is 3-8 on the year and in 84.2 innings of work has allowed 88 runs to score off of 120 hits, with 57 of those runs being earned. Nicholson has retired 60 batters this season.
Hurst Named Summit League Pitcher of the Week
UMKC softball player Samantha Hurst was named The Summit League Pitcher of the Week, it was announced April 13 by the league office. Hurst is the first Kangaroo to be recognized as a Player of the Week in the 2009 season.
Hurst earned the accolade after leading UMKC to a 7-5 victory over South Dakota last weekend at Cleveland Park. The Melbourne, Fla., native threw 5.1 innings against the Coyotes to record the victory. She allowed just two hits and struck out six to improve to 5-12 on the season.
Hurst also took the mound in the tight 3-2 loss against North Dakota. In the defeat, she allowed just three runs on six hits with only one run being earned. She finished the game with nine strikeouts.
On the season, Hurst has a 3.58 ERA in 25 appearances. She has pitched in 105.2 innings, where she has allowed 73 runs off of 116 hits, with 54 of the runs being earned. Hurst has recorded 14 starts on the mound this season, where she leads the ?Roos with 95 strikeouts and a .277 opponent batting average.
Last time out for the Kangaroos....
Kangaroos Drop Two To Jayhawks
Game One: KU 8 - UMKC 0 (5)
The Jayhawks jumped out to an early 3-0 lead at the conclusion of the first inning and drove in five runs in the bottom of the fifth to defeat UMKC, 8-0. UMKC held Kansas scoreless for three innings and posted two hits in the first game of the doubleheader.
Samantha Hurst suffered the loss for the Kangaroos, throwing 4.1 innings. She allowed six runs to score off of five hits, with four of those runs being earned. Hurst also recorded two strikeouts and only walked one.
Game Two: KU 7 - UMKC 2
The Kangaroos were able to score two runs on the Jayhawks but it wouldn't be enough and they dropped game two. Kansas jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the second, scoring four runs off of four hits. UMKC was able to cut the lead to two, scoring two runs off of two hits in the top of the fourth.
Back-to-back singles from Danielle Bennefeld and Chelsea Hartwig put runners on first and second for the Kangaroos. A Carli Slagle walk would move both runners and another walk for Ashley Whiteside would score Bennefeld. Kaelene Curry would ground out to first but it would result in Rhiannon Mendez scoring, who pinch ran for Hartwig.
The Jayhawks would get out of the inning, while the Kangaroos left two runners stranded on base. Kansas would add a run in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings to secure the win.
Nicholle Ellis, Anna Sokolik and Taya Upkes were all on the mound for the `Roos. Ellis would suffer the loss for UMKC, throwing three innings and striking out three.
Kangaroos In The Summit League
In the recent Summit League stats the UMKC softball team ranks in the top-three in eight categories. The Kangaroos rank no. One in fielding double plays (17), at bats (1076) and total plate appearances (1216). They are second in putouts with 802 on the year and hits with 285.
The `Roos are sitting third in the league in team batting average (.265), triples (6) and stolen bases (43).
UMKC's Home run Hitters
The Kangaroos have posted 15 home runs this season and leading the way is freshman Chelsea Hartwig. Hartwig leads UMKC with five homers so far this season, but her teammates are catching up to her. Tied with three a piece are upperclassmen Amanda Evans and Carli Slagle. Evans just recently hit the mark with a pair of home runs in the 4-3 win over Missouri State on April 8.
Already In The Record Books
The `Roos have several players putting up numbers to land in the UMKC record books with 11 games left in the regular season. Chelsea Hartwig and Carli Slagle will both land in the home runs posted in a single season category. Hartwig is at five home runs right now, placing her third on the list and Slagle is at four, tying her for third.
Sam Hurst recorded 110 strikeouts in the 2008 season to place her third on the single season record book for strikeouts. Entering into the series with South Dakota State, Hurst has 97 which puts her fourth.
