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Kansas City
Western Illinois
'Roos Down Leathernecks in Jayhawk Invitational, 7-4
3/13/2016 3:01:00 PM | Softball
Box Score
LAWRENCE, Kan. – The UMKC softball team excelled on both sides of the plate to take down Western Illinois, 7-4, on Sunday, March 13, in the Jayhawk Invitational in Lawrence, Kansas. Fueled by two double plays on defense, the UMKC bats were hot, tallying eight hits on their way to the win.
A day after recording seven strikeouts in five innings against Omaha, sophomore pitcher Amber Grove (5-4) was back in the circle for the 'Roos (7-12). Grove allowed a hit in the first, but no harm was done as she was able to leave a Leatherneck (10-13) stranded to bring the UMKC bats to the plate for the first time Sunday.
Senior Brooke Parker (1-for-2) led off the bottom of the first inning with a walk on four pitches, and senior Katie Kelley (3-for-4) followed Parker with her team-leading third home run of the season, putting the 'Roos up two runs in the early-going.
Grove struck out the leadoff batter in the second, but allowed a full-count walk to batter number two of the inning, but thanks to some stellar defense, the 'Roos turned two to get out of the inning unscathed.
Three-up, three-down for UMKC brought Grove and the defense back out on the field quickly, and WIU started the inning with three-straight singles to load the bases. With the pressure on the 'Roos, the defense stepped up big again, this time with a line-out double play, started by freshman shortstop Morgan Byrn, who had the poise to sling it to third to double-up the lead runner. Grove was able to get the following runner to foul out, and again the 'Roos were out of the inning unharmed.
UMKC used the big defensive play to fuel their offense in the bottom half of the inning. Kelley notched her second hit of the game, and sophomore Kendra Leach (1-for-2) continued her stellar weekend with an RBI single, extending her hitting streak to seven games, and extending the Kangaroo lead to 3-0.
It took Grove just four pitches in the fourth inning to record three outs, registering two first-pitch fly-outs and a two-pitch pop-up to get the 'Roos off the diamond and back in the dugout.
The bats kept going in the fourth for the 'Roos, as junior Abby Warkentine (1-for-3) singled up the middle with one-out to get things going. Using her speed, Warkentine stole both second and third base, making it easy for junior Kelsey Volley (1-for-3), who worked a full count before driving a single to left field and put UMKC up four runs.
The action didn't stop there, as junior Alex Gale (1-for-3) and Parker each singled to load the bases for Kelley.
With two hits in the game already, Kelley kept going, tallying hit number three and driving in RBIs three and four. Smart base running from Parker tabbed another run on the play, as she took off for home on the throw, giving the 'Roos a 7-0 lead.
WIU took back one run from UMKC in the fifth, and three more in the top of the seventh forced head coach Meredith Smith Neal to make a change in the circle, and brought Kelley in to finish the job.
With just one out on the board and the bases juiced, Kelley registered a fly out and a strike out to end the threat and the game, earning the save along the way.
UMKC heads back to Lawrence for the Rock Chalk Invitational March 18-20, where they are scheduled to play Tulsa, Kansas, Minnesota and Saint Louis.
