Kansas City
Illinois
Illinois Tops Kansas City in First of Two Games
2/22/2014 6:35:00 PM | Softball
(Arlington, Texas) -- Kansas City was on the wrong end of a complete game, one-hit shutout on Saturday afternoon, falling to Illinois 7-0.
UMKC got four innings of shutout softball from Cinda Ramos before Illinois was able to break through in the fifth inning. The Illini got a double to start the frame, followed by a two-run homerun to break the scoreless tie.
Illinois added two more in the sixth inning and two in the seventh inning to provide some cushion down the stretch. It would be more than enough for Illinois pitcher Shelese Arnold, who took a no-hitter into the seventh inning before Kaitlyn Carey crashed the party with a bunt single.
The 'Roos lost left fielder Bri Wyatt in the top of the second inning following a collision with the left field wall. Wyatt tracked a well hit fly ball, making the catch and crashing into the wall virtually simultaneously.
Ramos went 6.2 innings, allowing five earned runs on 11 hits and striking out seven.
Kansas City dropped the second game of its Saturday double-header to UT-Arlington by a final score of 4-3.
The 'Roos jumped on the board with a run in the top of the first inning. Brooke Parker walked, stole her 12th base of the season, and scored two batters later when Katie Kelley earned her 13th RBI of the year with a sacrifice fly.
UT-Arlington responded in the bottom of the third with four singles, plating three runs.
The teams traded runs in the fifth inning. Kristi Lee led off the inning, reaching via hit batsman, and two batters later, Cinda Ramos smoked a frozen rope into the left-centerfield gap to score Lee and cut into the margin.
UMKC got another run in the top of the sixth inning after Marlee Maples reached with a two-out single to right field. Alex Friloux followed with a ground ball to the right side, forcing a quick throw from the Mavericks' third baseman that sailed errant, allowing Maples to score and Friloux to slide safely into second base.
Unfortunately for the 'Roos, Friloux, Alex Gale, and Carnecia Kirkwood were stranded to end the frame, Kansas City still trailing by a run.
Katie Kelley, pitching in relief of Kenzie Flaws, escaped the sixth inning quickly, but Kansas City was unable to complete the rally in the visitor's half of the seventh.
Flaws and Kelley combined to throw six innings, allowing three earned runs on nine hits. Maples led the way at the plate for the 'Roos in the night-cap, going 2-for-3 and scoring a run.
Kansas City will return to the diamond on Sunday afternoon, closing out the UTA Hilton Invitational with another match-up versus the host Mavericks.
