Kansas City
South Dakota State
'Roos Split Doubleheader With Jacks
3/27/2011 7:17:00 PM | Softball
Lawrence, Kan. -- The UMKC softball team (15-10, 5-4) splits is doubleheader with South Dakota State (6-18, 4-2) on Sunday afternoon at Arrocha Ballpark on the University of Kansas campus. The 'Roos opened up the day with a 5-1 victory before falling in the snow-shortened game two, 9-7.
Junior Megan Ussary led the UMKC offensive effort, going 3-for-6 with three RBIs, a double, a triple, a stolen base and a run scored, while junior Anna Sokolik went 3-for-6 with three runs scored, three stolen bases and two RBIs. Junior Kelly Fischer, meanwhile, went 3-for-5 with three runs, two stolen bases and a walk, while sophomore Deanna Friese went 1-0 with 11 strikeouts and only two runs allowed in 10.1 innings of work.
In the opening game, the Jacks jumped ahead with a run in the top of the first, but the 'Roos quickly took the lead with a three-run second. Ussary led-off the inning with a triple down the right field line and came around to score on senior Lauren Rodrigues' RBI single. Two batters later, junior Ashley Whiteside singled to left, putting runners on first and second for junior Kaelene Curry. The shortstop came through in a big way with a bases-clearing two-run triple.
UMKC would hold the 3-1 lead until the bottom of the sixth when they tacked on a pair of insurance runs. Sokolik led the inning off with a single to third and promptly stole second and third. Emily Ott then walked and Ussary followed with an RBI double that scored Sokolik and put runners on second and third. Then, for the second straight day, a UMKC baserunner caught the Jackrabbit defense off-guard as Ott stole home for the final UMKC run.
Friese would make the 5-1 lead hold up, as the UMKC starter retired SDSU in order in the seventh for her 12th win of the season.
In game two, the Jacks again took the game's first lead with three runs in the top of the first inning, but the 'Roos would answer with three runs of their own in the bottom half of the inning. Curry led off the inning with a single to center and quickly moved to second on Fischer's bunt single. Sokolik then knocked in Curry with a single to right before stealing second in a double steal with Fischer. Ott then cleared the bases with a two-run double to tie the game at three.
SDSU kept the scoring going in the top of the second with five runs off UMKC starter Katie Franks, but the 'Roos again answered with three runs of their own in the bottom half of the inning. In the second, Curry reached on a Jackrabbit error and Fischer singled to right before Sokolik's RBI single knocked in Curry. Ussary then picked up her second an third RBIs of the day with a single to center that cut the lead to 5-3.
After a scoreless third, the Jacks increased their lead to three in the fourth inning, but the 'Roos cut the lead to 9-7 when Fischer scored after stealing third when the South Dakota State catcher threw the ball into left field.
After the fourth, the snow forced a 29 minute delay before the two teams retook the field for play in the fifth.
The teams would each go scoreless in the fifth, but SDSU would start the sixth with back-to-back home runs off Friese before the reliever settled down to retire the next three batters.
The 'Roos then entered the home half of the inning trailing 11-7 before senior Amanda Kinn doubled to right center to lead-off the inning. Whiteside then singled to knock in Kinn and cut the lead to three before back-to-back walks to Curry and Fischer loaded the bases with no one out for the 'Roos. At that point though, the umpires called the game due to weather and field conditions, nullifying the entire sixth inning and giving the Jacks the 9-7 win.
In the game, Curry scored two runs, breaking the UMKC career record for runs scored with her 86th career run.
The Blue and Gold will be right back at it tomorrow when they welcome in Wisconsin Parkside for a doubleheader at Loyola Park beginning at 11 a.m.
