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Kangaroos Close Out The Regular Season With The Thunderbirds
5/1/2009 9:00:00 AM | Softball
Kansas City, Mo. -- UMKC will close out the regular season this weekend and play host to Southern Utah in a Summit League three-game series. The Kangaroos take on the Thunderbirds on Saturday, May 2 at 12:00 p.m. for a doubleheader. This weekend's series will be played at Loyola Park on Rockhurst University's campus.
The pair will wrap up the regular season on Sunday, May 3 at noon. The Kangaroos will honor its three seniors prior to Sunday's first pitch. UMKC will recognize it seniors, Amanda Evans, Nicholle Ellis and Sam Hurst.
Following a pair of losses to Arkansas on Wednesday night, the Kangaroos are now 19-32 in the regular season. They are 9-12 in Summit League play and with the tournament fast approaching, the `Roos need a series sweep to have a chance at advancing to the league tournament.
Betsy Hanley leads UMKC with a .349 batting average and Kelly Fischer leads with 26 runs scored off of 55 hits. The `Roos have been going the distance at the plate in the last eight games and leading the surge is Chelsea Hartwig. UMKC has hit seven home runs in the last eight games and Hartwig accounts for three of those, putting her at eight on the season.
Taya Upkes enters the series with a 2.50 ERA and is 4-2 on the season. She has thrown in 56 innings and allowed 32 runs to score off of 70 hits, with 20 of those runs being earned. Upkes has recorded 44 strikeouts and walked just 15.
Hurst has retired 127 batters this season in 129 innings of work. She is holding opponents to a .271 batting average and is 7-14 on the season.
Opponent Preview
Southern Utah is 21-28 on the regular season and 11-10 in The Summit League. Aly Daniels leads Southern Utah with a .361 batting average. She has scored 34 runs off of 52 hits, including 11 doubles, five triples, seven home runs and 35 RBIs. Leading the Thunderbirds on the mound is Kristina Brooks with a 3.99 ERA. Brooks is 19-22 on the season and has allowed 177 runs to score off of 259 hits. She has retired 252 batters and walked just 83.
Hartwig Breaks UMKC Single Season Record
Freshman Chelsea Hartwig blasted her eighth home run of the season against Arkansas, putting her atop the UMKC record books. Hartwig now holds the most home runs posted in a single season.
In just her first season with the Kangaroos, Hartwig is already second in home runs in the UMKC career record books.
Last time out in The Summit League for the Kangaroos....
UMKC Sweeps IUPUI
Game One: UMKC 6 - IUPUI 0
The Kangaroos busted out 10 hits in their 6-0 victory over the Jaguars. Fischer led UMKC by scoring two runs off of three hits and Hartwig posted a home run. Sam Hurst threw a complete game for the `Roos and allowed just four hits, while striking out 12.
UMKC got on the scoreboard in the top of the third inning, scoring two runs. Curry would single to left field and Fischer would double, moving Curry to third. Betsy Hanley would hit an RBI single to score both Curry and Fischer to take a 2-0 lead.
The Kangaroos would extend their lead to 3-0 after Carli Slagle scored off of a Hartwig RBI double. UMKC would tack on another two runs off of two hits in the fifth, with Fischer and Hanley scoring.
Hartwig's homer came in the top of the sixth and extended the `Roos lead, to 6-0 and the defense, led by Hurst, held IUPUI scoreless, to take game one.
Game Two: UMKC 10 - IUPUI 4
Curry recorded three hits and Evans added a home run for a 10-4 win in game two of the doubleheader. The Jaguars jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first, scoring two runs off of one hit, but the Kangaroos would counter and get the sticks going in the top of the second.
UMKC would score six runs off of five hits to take a 6-2 lead. Evans, Danielle Bennefeld, Ashley Whiteside, Curry , Fischer and Hanley would all score. The Jaguars would post four errors in the inning.
Evans homer came in the top of the third to put the `Roos up by five.
The Kangaroos offense struck again in the top of the sixth and they were able to score three runs off of three hits. IUPUI added two runs in the sixth but it would be too late and UMKC would press on towards its victory.
Ellis was on the mound for the Kangaroos and allowed four runs to score off of nine hits. She allowed just two batters to walk and retired five.
Game Three: UMKC 9 - IUPUI 4
Chelsea Hartwig and Amanda Evans both homered in the game and Taya Upkes recorded the win on the mound for UMKC. The `Roos improve to 19-30 on the year and 9-12 in The Summit League.
UMCK jumped out to a 3-0 lead at the conclusion of the fourth inning thanks to a three-run homer from Hartwig. Megan Vicino would single and move to second on a Danielle Bennefeld hit. Then Hartwig would step up to bat and clear the bases, sending a ball over the center field wall.
The Kangaroos extended their lead to 4-0, scoring one run off of two hits in the top of the fifth. Kaelene Curry would post a single and advance to second on a Kelly Fischer hit. Both players would steal and a muffed throw by the IUPUI shortstop would result in Curry scoring.
The Jaguars weren't out of the game yet and made things interesting in the bottom of the sixth. IUPUI would go on to score four runs off of three hits to tie the game at 4-4 headed into the seventh.
But a big five-run seventh inning would but the `Roos back ahead, 9-4. Betsy Hanley would single and move to second a sacrifice bunt by Vicino. She would score off of a Carli Slage RBI single. UMKC would load the bases and Evans would hit a grand slam to close out the inning for the Kangaroos, scoring Anna Sokolik, Bennefeld and Rashonda Stanley.
Sam Hurst started on the mound for UMKC and threw four innings and gave up three hits while striking out six. Upkes closed out the game for the Kangaroos and despite giving up four runs off of four hits, walked away with the win. She improved to 4-2 on the season and retired three batters in three innings of work.
The pair will wrap up the regular season on Sunday, May 3 at noon. The Kangaroos will honor its three seniors prior to Sunday's first pitch. UMKC will recognize it seniors, Amanda Evans, Nicholle Ellis and Sam Hurst.
Following a pair of losses to Arkansas on Wednesday night, the Kangaroos are now 19-32 in the regular season. They are 9-12 in Summit League play and with the tournament fast approaching, the `Roos need a series sweep to have a chance at advancing to the league tournament.
Betsy Hanley leads UMKC with a .349 batting average and Kelly Fischer leads with 26 runs scored off of 55 hits. The `Roos have been going the distance at the plate in the last eight games and leading the surge is Chelsea Hartwig. UMKC has hit seven home runs in the last eight games and Hartwig accounts for three of those, putting her at eight on the season.
Taya Upkes enters the series with a 2.50 ERA and is 4-2 on the season. She has thrown in 56 innings and allowed 32 runs to score off of 70 hits, with 20 of those runs being earned. Upkes has recorded 44 strikeouts and walked just 15.
Hurst has retired 127 batters this season in 129 innings of work. She is holding opponents to a .271 batting average and is 7-14 on the season.
Opponent Preview
Southern Utah is 21-28 on the regular season and 11-10 in The Summit League. Aly Daniels leads Southern Utah with a .361 batting average. She has scored 34 runs off of 52 hits, including 11 doubles, five triples, seven home runs and 35 RBIs. Leading the Thunderbirds on the mound is Kristina Brooks with a 3.99 ERA. Brooks is 19-22 on the season and has allowed 177 runs to score off of 259 hits. She has retired 252 batters and walked just 83.
Hartwig Breaks UMKC Single Season Record
Freshman Chelsea Hartwig blasted her eighth home run of the season against Arkansas, putting her atop the UMKC record books. Hartwig now holds the most home runs posted in a single season.
In just her first season with the Kangaroos, Hartwig is already second in home runs in the UMKC career record books.
Last time out in The Summit League for the Kangaroos....
UMKC Sweeps IUPUI
Game One: UMKC 6 - IUPUI 0
The Kangaroos busted out 10 hits in their 6-0 victory over the Jaguars. Fischer led UMKC by scoring two runs off of three hits and Hartwig posted a home run. Sam Hurst threw a complete game for the `Roos and allowed just four hits, while striking out 12.
UMKC got on the scoreboard in the top of the third inning, scoring two runs. Curry would single to left field and Fischer would double, moving Curry to third. Betsy Hanley would hit an RBI single to score both Curry and Fischer to take a 2-0 lead.
The Kangaroos would extend their lead to 3-0 after Carli Slagle scored off of a Hartwig RBI double. UMKC would tack on another two runs off of two hits in the fifth, with Fischer and Hanley scoring.
Hartwig's homer came in the top of the sixth and extended the `Roos lead, to 6-0 and the defense, led by Hurst, held IUPUI scoreless, to take game one.
Game Two: UMKC 10 - IUPUI 4
Curry recorded three hits and Evans added a home run for a 10-4 win in game two of the doubleheader. The Jaguars jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first, scoring two runs off of one hit, but the Kangaroos would counter and get the sticks going in the top of the second.
UMKC would score six runs off of five hits to take a 6-2 lead. Evans, Danielle Bennefeld, Ashley Whiteside, Curry , Fischer and Hanley would all score. The Jaguars would post four errors in the inning.
Evans homer came in the top of the third to put the `Roos up by five.
The Kangaroos offense struck again in the top of the sixth and they were able to score three runs off of three hits. IUPUI added two runs in the sixth but it would be too late and UMKC would press on towards its victory.
Ellis was on the mound for the Kangaroos and allowed four runs to score off of nine hits. She allowed just two batters to walk and retired five.
Game Three: UMKC 9 - IUPUI 4
Chelsea Hartwig and Amanda Evans both homered in the game and Taya Upkes recorded the win on the mound for UMKC. The `Roos improve to 19-30 on the year and 9-12 in The Summit League.
UMCK jumped out to a 3-0 lead at the conclusion of the fourth inning thanks to a three-run homer from Hartwig. Megan Vicino would single and move to second on a Danielle Bennefeld hit. Then Hartwig would step up to bat and clear the bases, sending a ball over the center field wall.
The Kangaroos extended their lead to 4-0, scoring one run off of two hits in the top of the fifth. Kaelene Curry would post a single and advance to second on a Kelly Fischer hit. Both players would steal and a muffed throw by the IUPUI shortstop would result in Curry scoring.
The Jaguars weren't out of the game yet and made things interesting in the bottom of the sixth. IUPUI would go on to score four runs off of three hits to tie the game at 4-4 headed into the seventh.
But a big five-run seventh inning would but the `Roos back ahead, 9-4. Betsy Hanley would single and move to second a sacrifice bunt by Vicino. She would score off of a Carli Slage RBI single. UMKC would load the bases and Evans would hit a grand slam to close out the inning for the Kangaroos, scoring Anna Sokolik, Bennefeld and Rashonda Stanley.
Sam Hurst started on the mound for UMKC and threw four innings and gave up three hits while striking out six. Upkes closed out the game for the Kangaroos and despite giving up four runs off of four hits, walked away with the win. She improved to 4-2 on the season and retired three batters in three innings of work.
Players Mentioned
C/IF
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IF
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IF
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P/UTIL
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/ 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