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Kansas City
Missouri State
?Roos Drop Two In Day One of Breast Cancer Awareness Tournament
3/4/2016 8:44:00 PM | Softball
Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score
ST. LOUIS – The UMKC softball team tied a season-high 12 hits against Missouri State in their opening game of the Breast Cancer Awareness Tournament in St. Louis, Missouri on March 4, but fell to the Bears, and later the Huskies of Northern Illinois in day one of the tourney.
Missouri State (8-7) went on the board first in UMKC's (3-8) first tilt of the day, with three runs in the second on two hits and an error off sophomore pitcher Amber Grove (2-3).
The 'Roos bounced back two score two in the top of the third, with three-straight two-out hits. Sophomore Kelsey Goodwin (2-for-4) was the first to get on base in the frame, with a single up the middle, and redshirt freshman Rachel Pate (2-for-4) followed suit with a one-bagger through the left side.
Freshman Bri Sims (2-for-4) took advantage of the ducks on the pond and smashed a double to the gap in right center field, driving in both runners to bring the 'Roos within one, 3-2.
The Bears were unfazed by the UMKC attack, and scored two more in the bottom half of the third on three hits to stretch the lead a bit, 5-2.
A two-out, three-run home run from Missouri State in the bottom of the fourth to make the score 8-2 would have been enough to make a lot of teams give in, but not the 'Roos, and they went on a two out rally in the fifth to put them right back in the ballgame.
With Goodwin on by way of base hit, Sims stepped to the plate with two outs to single up the middle, and sophomore Kendra Leach (2-for-4) copied the freshman with a single up the middle of her own, scoring Goodwin from second.
A walk from freshman Morgan Byrn (0-for-2) loaded the bases for junior Kelsey Volle (0-for-3), who reached on a fielding error and advanced to second, while all-three 'Roos on the bags score to make the score 8-6.
Junior Alex Gale (1-for-4) hit her first-career triple, driving in Volle to bring UMKC within one, and a single from senior Brooke Parker (1-for-4) would finish off the rally for the 'Roos, leveling the score at eight.
As nagging as UMKC was, the Bears wouldn't let them take the lead, and scored two runs in the bottom half of the fifth off a couple of two-out singles, and added another one in the sixth to go back on top by three, 11-8, and set the final score.
The 'Roos struck first in game two against Northern Illinois (NIU) (7-4), with a single from Pate (2-for-3) to right center, scoring senior Katie Kelley (2-for-3) after she reached base on a single to left center.
With Kelley (0-5) in the circle, the Huskies went to work early, scoring five runs in the opening stanza on four hits off the senior pitcher, making the score 5-1 after one inning.
NIU tacked on three more runs in the third inning, after Kelley surrendered two walks, and one hit, putting the Huskies ahead by seven runs.
Kelley was unable to register an out in the fourth inning, giving up a single and a two-run home run, followed by another single.
Head coach Meredith Smith Neal elected to bring Sims in to pitch for the first time this season, and with the 'Roos in a nine-run hole, the freshman was jittery out of the gate, throwing a wild pitch to advance the runner to second, followed by a single to left center to give the Huskies a 10-run advantage.
An error gave the Huskies another run, before Sims was able to get the final out of the fourth, but a scoreless fifth for the 'Roos ended the game, 12-1.
The 'Roos look to bounce back on Saturday, March 5 with a game against Saint Louis at 5 p.m., before closing the weekend on Sunday, March 6 versus Southeast Missouri State at 11 a.m.
