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UMKC Heads To IUPUI For Three-Game Series
4/23/2009 9:00:00 AM | Softball
Kansas City, Mo. -- UMKC hits the road for a Summit League battle with IUPUI on Friday, April 24 and Saturday, April 25. The Kangaroos face the Jaguars for a doubleheader on Friday beginning at 3:00 p.m. and close out the three-game series on Saturday at 11:00 a.m.
On the season, UMKC is 16-30 and 6-12 in The Summit League. The Kangaroos are led on the sticks by Betsy Hanley and Kelly Fischer. Hanley is batting .336 on the year in 45 starts. She has scored 14 runs off of 46 hits, including six doubles and six stolen bases. Fischer leads the team with 22 runs scored off of 47 hits. She has posted three doubles this season, recorded 15 RBIs and stolen a team-high nine bases.
Following a successful weekend on the mound for UMKC is Taya Upkes with a 2.11 ERA. Upkes is 3-2 headed into the IUPUI series and has allowed 28 runs to score off of 66 hits, with 16 of those runs being earned. In 53 innings of work, Upkes has walked 12 and struck out 41.
Sam Hurst leads the Kangaroos pitching staff in innings pitched, strikeouts and opponent batting average. Hurst has thrown in 118 innings and recorded 109 strikeouts. The senior has held opponents to a .278 batting average.
Opponent Preview
IUPUI is 3-44 on the year and 1-17 in league play. Sarah Oppelt leads the Jaguars with a .382 batting average. She has scored 23 runs off of 47 hits. Also leading IUPUI at the plate is Mia Ettl, who has recorded 10 doubles, 10 home runs and 30 RBIs.
Last time out for the Kangaroos....
Kangaroos Finish 2-1 Against the Jackrabbits
Game One: UMKC 5 - SDSU 4
The Kangaroos recorded 12 hits and scored the winning run in the bottom of the seventh to prevail over the Jackrabbits, 5-4. SDSU jumped on the scoreboard first, scoring two runs off of two hits in the top of the first. But Fischer cut the lead to one in the bottom of the first after she singled to center field and scored off of a Carli Slagle RBI single.
SDSU scored a run in both the third and the fourth inning to hold a 4-1 lead over UMKC. The Kangaroos scored two runs off of two hits and two Jackrabbit errors in the bottom of the fourth to cut the lead to one at 4-3. Chelsea Hartwig walked and Rashonda Stanley would pinch run for her and move to second on a Megan Vicino hit. A SDSU error advanced the runners and put Ashley Whiteside at first. Stanley then crossed home plate following a Kaelene Curry walk. Fischer then followed with an RBI single to the shortstop to drive in Vicino.
The `Roos tied things up in the sixth when they scored one run off of four hits. Stanley opened with single to left and moved to second on a Whiteside sacrifice bunt. Curry followed with a single to right field, and Stanley came around the bases to tie the game off of an error by the right fielder in the same play.
UMKC held SDSU scoreless in the top of the seventh and sealed the win in the bottom of the inning. Danielle Bennefeld singled and then moved to second on a Hartwig hit. Vicino then laced the game winning single over the left fielder's head to plate the go-ahead run.
Both Samantha Hurst and Taya Upkes pitched for UMKC. Hurst threw four innings and gave up four runs off of seven hits with three of those runs being earned. She finished the game with eight strikeouts. Upkes relieved her in the fifth, and she recorded the win for the Kangaroos. Upkes gave up just two hits and struck out one.
Game Two: SDSU 2 - UMKC 0
It would only take one inning and a two-run homer in the top of the fourth for the Jackrabbits to pull off the win. The Kangaroos were held scoreless, but the squad had several chances to drive in some runs. UMKC left runners stranded on base in the third, fourth, fifth and sixth innings.
Fischer, Hanley and Whiteside all posted hits for the Kangaroos. Nicholle Ellis suffered the loss for UMKC on the mound, as she threw four innings, giving up two runs off of four hits with three K's.
Game Three: UMKC 3 - SDSU 2
UMKC held on for a 3-2 win over South Dakota State on Sunday afternoon. The Kangaroos were led by Kaelene Curry and Megan Vicino who both posted two hits on the day. Sam Hurst recorded the win on the mound for UMKC and Taya Upkes picked up the save.
UMKC would score first after Danielle Bennefeld sent a first-pitch ball sailing over the fence in the bottom of the second to put the Kangaroos up, 1-0.
UMKC struck again in the bottom of the third, scoring two runs off of three hits. Kelly Fischer reached on a fielder's choice and moved to second on a wild pitch. Betsy Hanley would drive her in with an RBI single and land on second base off the throw. Vicino followed in Hanley's footsteps and posted her own RBI single to score Hanley and put the `Roos up, 3-0.
Things would get sticky for UMKC following the top of the fifth, as SDSU was able to score a run in the fourth and the fifth. But the `Roos were able to hold the Jackrabbits to take the game and finish out the series on top, 2-1.
Hurst threw four innings and allowed one run to score off of three hits, while striking out four. Upkes pitched the final three innings and allowed one run to score off of four hits and struck out three.
UMKC's Home run Hitters
The Kangaroos have posted 17 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. Carli Slagle has four on the season and tied with three are Amanda Evans and Danielle Bennefeld.
Already In The Record Books
The `Roos have several players putting up numbers to land in the UMKC record books with eight 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 109 which puts her fourth.
On the season, UMKC is 16-30 and 6-12 in The Summit League. The Kangaroos are led on the sticks by Betsy Hanley and Kelly Fischer. Hanley is batting .336 on the year in 45 starts. She has scored 14 runs off of 46 hits, including six doubles and six stolen bases. Fischer leads the team with 22 runs scored off of 47 hits. She has posted three doubles this season, recorded 15 RBIs and stolen a team-high nine bases.
Following a successful weekend on the mound for UMKC is Taya Upkes with a 2.11 ERA. Upkes is 3-2 headed into the IUPUI series and has allowed 28 runs to score off of 66 hits, with 16 of those runs being earned. In 53 innings of work, Upkes has walked 12 and struck out 41.
Sam Hurst leads the Kangaroos pitching staff in innings pitched, strikeouts and opponent batting average. Hurst has thrown in 118 innings and recorded 109 strikeouts. The senior has held opponents to a .278 batting average.
Opponent Preview
IUPUI is 3-44 on the year and 1-17 in league play. Sarah Oppelt leads the Jaguars with a .382 batting average. She has scored 23 runs off of 47 hits. Also leading IUPUI at the plate is Mia Ettl, who has recorded 10 doubles, 10 home runs and 30 RBIs.
Last time out for the Kangaroos....
Kangaroos Finish 2-1 Against the Jackrabbits
Game One: UMKC 5 - SDSU 4
The Kangaroos recorded 12 hits and scored the winning run in the bottom of the seventh to prevail over the Jackrabbits, 5-4. SDSU jumped on the scoreboard first, scoring two runs off of two hits in the top of the first. But Fischer cut the lead to one in the bottom of the first after she singled to center field and scored off of a Carli Slagle RBI single.
SDSU scored a run in both the third and the fourth inning to hold a 4-1 lead over UMKC. The Kangaroos scored two runs off of two hits and two Jackrabbit errors in the bottom of the fourth to cut the lead to one at 4-3. Chelsea Hartwig walked and Rashonda Stanley would pinch run for her and move to second on a Megan Vicino hit. A SDSU error advanced the runners and put Ashley Whiteside at first. Stanley then crossed home plate following a Kaelene Curry walk. Fischer then followed with an RBI single to the shortstop to drive in Vicino.
The `Roos tied things up in the sixth when they scored one run off of four hits. Stanley opened with single to left and moved to second on a Whiteside sacrifice bunt. Curry followed with a single to right field, and Stanley came around the bases to tie the game off of an error by the right fielder in the same play.
UMKC held SDSU scoreless in the top of the seventh and sealed the win in the bottom of the inning. Danielle Bennefeld singled and then moved to second on a Hartwig hit. Vicino then laced the game winning single over the left fielder's head to plate the go-ahead run.
Both Samantha Hurst and Taya Upkes pitched for UMKC. Hurst threw four innings and gave up four runs off of seven hits with three of those runs being earned. She finished the game with eight strikeouts. Upkes relieved her in the fifth, and she recorded the win for the Kangaroos. Upkes gave up just two hits and struck out one.
Game Two: SDSU 2 - UMKC 0
It would only take one inning and a two-run homer in the top of the fourth for the Jackrabbits to pull off the win. The Kangaroos were held scoreless, but the squad had several chances to drive in some runs. UMKC left runners stranded on base in the third, fourth, fifth and sixth innings.
Fischer, Hanley and Whiteside all posted hits for the Kangaroos. Nicholle Ellis suffered the loss for UMKC on the mound, as she threw four innings, giving up two runs off of four hits with three K's.
Game Three: UMKC 3 - SDSU 2
UMKC held on for a 3-2 win over South Dakota State on Sunday afternoon. The Kangaroos were led by Kaelene Curry and Megan Vicino who both posted two hits on the day. Sam Hurst recorded the win on the mound for UMKC and Taya Upkes picked up the save.
UMKC would score first after Danielle Bennefeld sent a first-pitch ball sailing over the fence in the bottom of the second to put the Kangaroos up, 1-0.
UMKC struck again in the bottom of the third, scoring two runs off of three hits. Kelly Fischer reached on a fielder's choice and moved to second on a wild pitch. Betsy Hanley would drive her in with an RBI single and land on second base off the throw. Vicino followed in Hanley's footsteps and posted her own RBI single to score Hanley and put the `Roos up, 3-0.
Things would get sticky for UMKC following the top of the fifth, as SDSU was able to score a run in the fourth and the fifth. But the `Roos were able to hold the Jackrabbits to take the game and finish out the series on top, 2-1.
Hurst threw four innings and allowed one run to score off of three hits, while striking out four. Upkes pitched the final three innings and allowed one run to score off of four hits and struck out three.
UMKC's Home run Hitters
The Kangaroos have posted 17 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. Carli Slagle has four on the season and tied with three are Amanda Evans and Danielle Bennefeld.
Already In The Record Books
The `Roos have several players putting up numbers to land in the UMKC record books with eight 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 109 which puts her fourth.
Players Mentioned
C/IF
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C
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IF
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IF
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P/UTIL
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OF
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OF
/ 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