Kansas City
IUPUI
'Roos Set School Record With Doubleheader Sweep Of Jags
4/30/2011 4:09:00 PM | Softball
Indianapolis, Ind. -- The UMKC softball team (32-14, 15-5) set the school record for wins in a season with its doubleheader sweep of IUPUI (13-30, 8-12) on Saturday afternoon at Jaguars Field. The 'Roos opened the day with a 9-0 win in five innings in the early game before downing the Jaguars 8-6 in eight innings in game two.
Deanna Friese (23-7) picked up the win in both games, throwing all five innings in the first game, striking out seven and allowing just three hits. In game two, the sophomore tossed 3.1 innings in relief, allowing one run on two hits, while striking out six.
Offensively, junior Megan Ussary led the way for UMKC, going a combined 5-for-7 with four RBIs, three runs scored, three stolen bases, a home run and a walk, while sophomore Emily Ott went 2-for-6 with two RBIs and a run scored on her first home run of the season.
In the opening game, the 'Roos jumped ahead early when Ussary belted her second home run of the season over the left field fence, scoring juniors Kelly Fischer and Anna Sokolik and putting the Kangaroos up 3-0.
The score would stay 3-0 until the fourth when the 'Roos put six runs on the board. The first run of the inning came when Ussary scored on an an error by the IUPUI shortstop, while the second came when junior Kaelene Curry walked to force in senior Amanda Kinn. Another error by the shortstop allowed juniors Ashley Whiteside and Megan Vicino to score before an RBI groundout by Sokolik plated Curry. The 'Roos then closed out the scoring when Fischer scored on a bunt single by Ussary.
Friese then took care of the Jags in the fourth and fifth innings for her first win of the day.
In game two, UMKC took the early lead with three runs in the top of the first. Curry led-off with a single and stole second before Fischer put runners on the corner with a single to third. Three batters later, Ott walked to load the bases and freshman Katie Henning followed by getting hit by a pitch to force in the first run. Bennefeld then laced a double to right, scoring Fischer and Ott and giving the 'Roos a 3-0 lead.
IUPUI cut the lead to one with two runs in the bottom of the second, but the 'Roos answered with two runs of their own in the third when freshman Katie Henning hit a two-run double to left center, scoring Sokolik and Ussary.
UMKC extended the lead to 6-3 in the fifth when Ott hit her first home run of the season, but two runs in the fifth and one in the sixth by IUPUI sent the game to extra innings.
In the eighth, Bennefeld and Kinn walked and Curry singled to load the bases. After a fielder's choice by Fischer retired Bennefeld at the plate, Sokolik roped a two-out double to left, driving in a pinch running Whiteside and Curry for the winning runs.
The two teams will be back at it again tomorrow when they conclude the series at 11 a.m.
