Kansas City
North Dakota State
'Roos Drop Championship Game 5-0 To Bison
5/14/2011 6:42:00 PM | Softball
Macomb, Ill. -- The UMKC softball team's 2011 season came to an end on Saturday afternoon at McKee Stadium as the 'Roos (38-16) fell 5-0 to North Dakota State (30-25) in the Championship game of the Summit League tournament. The Bison will now move on to the NCAA tournament as the Summit League representative.
For the 'Roos, sophomore Emily Ott recorded the squad's lone hit, while Junior Megan Ussary reached base twice via the walk.
On the mound, sophomore Deanna Friese took the loss, allowing three runs on five hits with three strikeouts in 5.1 innings of work.
In the game, the two pitchers dominated early, as neither team could get a runner past first through the first four innings of play.
The Bison put the first runs on the board in the fifth with back-to-back bases loaded walks.
The Kangaroos, meanwhile, had their best scoring chance in the bottom half of the inning when Ussary led-off with a walk to become the first UMKC base runner and Ott followed with a hit to break-up the no-hitter and put runners on first and second with nobody out. After a UMKC strikeout, Lindsey Davis lined a pitch right to the NDSU third baseman, with Ussary getting doubled off second to end the rally.
In the sixth, North Dakota State tacked on three more runs to build their lead to 5-0.
The 'Roos again threatened to put runs on the board in the sixth when juniors Ashley Whiteside and Kelly Fischer both walked, but UMKC was again unable to score.
After holding the Bison scoreless in the top of the seventh, UMKC had one final shot to keep its season alive in the seventh. Ussary again led-off the inning with a walk, but back-to-back fly outs and a strikeout ended the game and the 'Roos 2011 season.
For the tournament, Ott, Friese, Fischer, and Ussary were all named to the all-tournament team.
The loss concludes the most successful season in school history, as the Kangaroos registered the most wins and Summit League wins in school history, while also setting a multitude of individual records.
