Kansas City
Grand Canyon
Kansas City Outlasts GCU to Earn First League Win
3/29/2014 10:41:00 PM | Softball
(Phoenix, Ariz.) ? In a week dominated by the pair's exploits on the diamond, Katie Kelley and Marlee Maples, appropriately, led Kansas City to its first WAC victory of the season on Saturday in a 4-2 11-inning triumph over Grand Canyon.
The Antelopes were first on the board with a triple, two singles, and a walk in the home half of the third inning, but UMKC starter Katie Kelley escaped a bases loaded jam on a ground out to third base, surrendering just one run.
With one out in the top of the fifth, Kelsey Volle earned a free pass. Running for Volle, Aly Zembruski moved up a base on a Bri Wyatt bunt before Cinda Ramos plated her with an RBI double, tying to score 1-1.
After a one-out double and a walk put a pair of Antelopes on base in the bottom of the sixth, Ramos replaced Kelley in the circle and worked through the jam with a 5-3 double play from Maples to Alex Gale.
As the game moved into extra innings, each team threatened but failed to score in the ninth inning. The ?Roos loaded the bases in the top of the inning with back-to-back singles by Gale and Caitlin Christopher, along with a single by Maddie Garton. GCU escaped, however, by foiling a safety squeeze and inducing a pop up on the infield.
In the bottom of the ninth, Grand Canyon began the fram with a double and a bunt single to put runners at the corners with no outs. Ramos clamped down over the course of the next three at bats, getting a pop out and a pair of fly outs to strand the winning run at third base.
“The pitchers did a much better job of controlling contact with runners in scoring position,” said head coach Meredith Smith Neal. “And our defense made plays when we needed them to.”
With one out in the top of the 10th, Kansas City finally broke through when Katie Kelley blasted a solo homerun to right field, allowing the ?Roos to take their first lead of the afternoon at 2-1.
“(Grand Canyon) switched pitchers prior to Katie's at bat, going to the starter from our second game last night that KK hit a homerun off of,” said Smith Neal. “She pulled the homerun to left field last night, so they tried to pitch her away, but she showed great versatility going with the pitch and driving it to the opposite field.”
The celebration was temporarily postponed in the home half of the inning, as Grand Canyon manufactured a run of its own, bookending a sacrifice bunt with a pair of singles to tie the game 2-2. Fortunately for the ?Roos, Kaitlyn Carey was effectively patrolling centerfield on this day, tracking a pair of deep fly balls to turn the Antelopes away and extend the contest once more.
After two quick outs to begin the top of the 11th, Bri Wyatt kept things going, stinging a single down the right field line. Ramos chased Wyatt with a double into right-centerfield, putting runners in scoring position for Maples. Maples came through with a two-RBI single back through the middle to give Kansas City a 4-2 lead.
Grand Canyon followed a fly out with a single to bring the tying run to the plate in the home half of the 11th, but Kelley slammed the door, overpowering the Antelopes with back-to-back strikeouts to close out the ?Roos' first WAC victory in program history.
The pitching lines were impressive for both Kansas City hurlers, as Kelley and Ramos combined to toss 11 innings, allowing just two earned runs and two walks, while striking out six.
“We were able to keep hitters off balance with our contrasting styles,” said Kelley. “We really picked each other up today a couple of different times, and our defense was awesome behind us. They made some great plays.”
Ramos shined in the batter's box, as well, going 5-for-6 with two doubles and a run scored.
“(Cinda) wasn't having the monster day at the plate that she's had recently,” said Smith Neal. “But she was making good contact and finding holes, which allowed her to continue to move the runners and keep innings alive.”
The ?Roos will head to Omaha, Neb., on Tuesday for a doubleheader versus Nebraska-Omaha scheduled for 3 p.m. and 5 p.m.
