Kansas City
UNLV
'Roos Knock Off UNLV, 6-5, In Softball Action
4/20/2010 9:59:00 PM | Softball
Las Vegas, Nev. - The UMKC softball team (17-24) picked up its eighth win in nine games when it defeated Mountain West Conference opponent UNLV, 6-5, on Monday night at the Eller Media Stadium in Las Vegas, Nev., behind two hits, two runs and an RBI from second baseman Kelly Fischer.
The 'Roos got the scoring started in the bottom of the first, when Fischer tripled and came around to score on Anna Sokolik's sac fly to left field.
The Rebels answered with a run of their own in the first, when Jaci Hull homered off UMKC starter Deanna Friese, but the 'Roos quickly retook the lead when Danielle Bennefeld sent a 2-2 pitch from UNLV starter Jessica O'Connor over the center field fence for her second home run in three games.
UMKC pushed its lead to 3-1 in the top of the third when shortstop Kaelene Curry led the inning off with a triple and later scored on Fischer's RBI single.
UNLV cut the lead to one on an unearned run in the third, before Sokolik's RBI double knocked in Fischer, pushing the lead to 4-2.
After holding the 'Roos scoreless in the top of the fifth, the Rebels tied the contest at four in the bottom half of the inning on Hull's second home run of the day.
UMKC would not go away though, as the 'Roos quickly recaptured the lead with a pair of sixth inning runs. The 'Roos notched their first run of the inning when a Rebel error allowed Meagan Vicino to score, before Lauren Rodrigues' sac fly scored Bennefeld from third, giving UMKC a 6-4 lead heading into the seventh.
In the seventh, Friese retired the lead-off batter before Hull belted her third home run of the game, cutting the 'Roo lead to 6-5. The freshman Friese, though, would settle down and retire two of the next three hitters to pick up the win.
In the game, Friese (9-11) went all seven innings, allowing four earned runs, while striking out four. At the plate, Emily Ott extended her hit streak to 11 games, while Bennefeld went 2-for-2 with two runs and an RBI.
The 'Roos will be back in action again on Friday when they began a three-game series with Centenary in Kansas City, Mo.
