Kansas City
Southern Utah
UMKC Advances To Championship Series With 4-3 Win Over Southern Utah
5/13/2011 9:16:00 PM | Softball
Macomb, Ill. -- The UMKC softball team (38-15) advanced to the championship series of the 2011 Summit League Championships after defeating Southern Utah (25-34) in its second elimination game of the day.
Junior Megan Ussary and sophomore Emily Ott led the 'Roo offense, as each notched two hits, while Ussary added two RBIs in the win.
UMKC jumped ahead in the contest with a first inning run when junior Kaelene Curry scored after an error by the Southern Utah pitcher.
The Thunderbirds would answer right back with a single run of their own in the bottom half of the inning, but a three-run second by the 'Roos put them back in front 4-1. Junior Danielle Bennefeld, senior Lauren Rodrigues and junior Ashley Whiteside opened the inning with back-to-back-to-back singles to load the bases and after a fielder's choice, junior Kelly Fischer singled to right to knock in pinch runner Megan Vicino. Two batters later Ussary laced a single up the middle to drive in Whiteside and Curry and put the Kangaroos on top.
Southern Utah would not go quietly though, as the Thundebirds scored single runs in the second and fourth to cut the lead to one.
UMKC started Deanna Friese and the Kangaroo defense would hang tough and hold the Thunderbirds scoreless over the final three innings of play to clinch the win.
The Blue & Gold will now face North Dakota State tomorrow at noon and if they win a second game will follow with a berth in the NCAA tournament on the line.
