Friese's One-Hit Shutout Leads 'Roos To Fifth Consecutive Win

Sunday, April 11

Kansas City, Mo. (Loyola Park)

1:30 p.m. CT

Kansas City

North Dakota

Friese's One-Hit Shutout Leads 'Roos To Fifth Consecutive Win

4/11/2010 9:07:00 PM | Softball

By: UMKC Athletics

Kansas City, Mo. -- The UMKC softball team (14-23) and freshman Deanna Friese notched a pair of wins on the final day of the Dakota's Round Robin Tournament, downing North Dakota (10-28), 10-4, in the first game and South Dakota (10-23-1), 2-0, in game two for its fourth and fifth consecutive wins. On the day, Friese tossed 11.1 innings, allowing only three hits and no runs, while striking 23, including a one-hit, 16-strikeout gem against the Coyotes.

Against South Dakota, Friese opened the game with a strikeout of Jessica Lussman and Callie Roan before walking Alexa Rudeen and finishing off the inning with a punchout of Alaina Novotny.

The 'Roos would get Friese the lead in the bottom of the first with back-to-back RBI singles by Anna Sokolik and Emily Ott, scoring Kaelene Curry and Sokolik, gave the 'Roos a 2-0 lead.

The two runs would be more than enough for Friese, as the Kennesaw, Ga., native retired the next 16 batters she faced, including 12 of her career-high tying 16 strikeouts, before a bloop single to left-centerfield by Rudeen with one out in the seventh broke-up the no-hit bid.

In the game, Friese went all seven innings, giving up only the walk and the hit to Rudeen, while seven of the nine 'Roo starters notched a hit.

In the first game of the day, the squad downed the Fighting Sioux, 10-4, putting runs on the board in five of its six at-bats.

In the first, Ott's RBI single to center knocked in Curry and gave the 'Roos the early 1-0 lead, before North Dakota tied the game with a single run in the top of the third.

UMKC then recaptured the lead in the bottom half of the inning on Chelsea Hartwig's first home run of the season.

The lead was again short-lived, as North Dakota put three runs on the board against UMKC starter Sokolik to take a 4-2 lead.

The 'Roos cut the lead to one when Megan Vicino's suicide squeeze scored Sokolik from third and recaptured the lead in the fourth with a three run inning.

Kelly Fischer got the 'Roos started with a bases loaded single that scored Rhiannon Mendez, while Sokolik followed it up with a two-run double that plated Curry and Janessa Swinney and put the 'Roos up 6-4.

UMKC then put the game away in the bottom of the sixth with four runs highlighted by an RBI single from Fischer and a two-run single from Hartwig.

In the game, Friese (7-11) picked up the win in relief, allowing no runs and two hits in 4.1 innings, while striking out seven. Hartwig led the squad at the plate, as the sophomore went 2-for-3 with a home run and three RBIs.

For the tournament, Friese pitched 18.1 innings, allowing two earned runs for a .76 ERA and six hits, while striking out 39.

The Blue and Gold will be in action again next weekend when the squad heads to Southern Utah on April 16-17 to take on the Thunderbirds in Summit League play.