Kansas City
DePaul (Bracket Play)
Blue Demons Too Much For ?Roos in Game One of Bracket Play Action
2/11/2012 6:16:00 PM | Softball
(Honolulu, Hawaii) - Saturday in game one of bracket play action, the UMKC softball team (1-3) fell 9-3 to the DePaul Blue Demons (3-1) at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.
Earlier in the week on Thursday, DePaul defeated the Kangaroos, 5-2, via a walk-off three-run homer by Mary Connolly.
In the top of the first, Kaelene Curry and Kelly Fischer hit leadoff singles to spark the Kangaroo offense early. Later in the inning with two on and one out, Megan Ussary singled to right as Curry scored to give UMKC a 1-0 lead.
Two batters later with two outs and two on, Emily Ott singled to center to bring Fischer home for the second run of the game. However, Ussary was tagged out at third to end the inning.
In the bottom of second with one out, same score, DePaul's Bree Brown hit a solo shot left to cut the Kangaroo lead to one. Next up, Staci Bonezek singled to center but advanced to third after an error committed by outfielder Ashley Whiteside. Bonezek would later score on an infield hit by Allie Braden to tie the game at two.
In the top of the fourth with DePaul now leading 3-2, Ussary and Chelsea Hartwig both singled to left to give the Kangaroos two runners on with nobody out. After a pitching change by the Blue Demons, Ott reached base on a fielder's choice as Hartwig was forced out at second, while Ussary scored to tie the game at three.
The 'Roos would then groundout twice to end the inning.
In the bottom half of the fourth with two on and one out, Lynsey Ciezki singled to right-center to bring home Bonezek to give her team a 4-3 lead.
After a wild pitch by Cinda Ramos in which both runners advanced to second and third, Samantha Dodd hit a base-clearing triple to give the Blue Demons a three-run lead.
After that, UMKC head coach Meredith Smith replaced Ramos (1-1) with Deanna Friese (0-2). In 3.1 innings pitched, the freshman right-hander gave up nine hits and six earned runs in her second career start.
Later in the inning with two on and two outs after an RBI single by Megan Coronado, Connolly homered to left to give DePaul a commanding 9-3 lead over UMKC.
"Offensively, we had some success, but we made some critical mistakes on defense which hindered us today," said Smith. "When you play a team as talented as DePaul, you have to limit your mistakes if you want to come away with a win."
Later today, the Kangaroos will close out the Oceanic Time Warner Cable Paradise Classic against the loser of the Hawaii and Seattle at 7 p.m.
