Kansas City
South Dakota
?Roos Extend Winning-Streak to Six Before Falling in Extras in Tuesday Doubleheader
4/12/2016 8:36:00 PM | Softball
Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score
VERMILLION, S.D. – The UMKC softball team reached a season-high six-game win-streak with a 10-2 win in game one of a doubleheader with South Dakota, and pushed game two to extras with two seventh-inning home runs, but fell just short of the sweep with a 7-6 loss in the finale in Vermillion, South Dakota.
The 'Roos (14-18) recorded a season-high 16 hits in game one against the Coyotes (13-27), including four from freshman Bri Sims (4-for-5) and three apiece from sophomore Ashlin O'Brien (3-for-5) and redshirt freshman Rachel Pate (3-for-5).
Despite the high-powered offense from the 'Roos, it was South Dakota that struck first, scoring a run in the bottom of the first inning on a home run to left center off sophomore pitcher Amber Grove (7-8).
UMKC evened the score with a solo-shot of their own, a one-out bomb from O'Brien, her third of the year. The 'Roos then took the lead in the fourth, with freshman Morgan Byrn (1-for-3) scoring on a passed ball to made the score 2-1.
South Dakota tacked on another run in the bottom of the fourth with their second home run of the game, a two-out shot to left field, but the UMKC bats put Grove in position for the win with a crooked number on the board in the top half of the sixth.
Junior Abby Warkentine (2-for-3) singled up the middle with one out in the inning to start a rally, and senior Brooke Parker (2-for-3) followed suit with a single and advanced to second on an error.
With two away and both runners still in scoring position, senior Katie Kelley (1-for-3) stepped to the plate. Coming into Tuesday's games, Kelley was 16-for-34 with runners in scoring position, and as she's done time-and-time-again, she came through in the clutch, driving in both runners with a double to center field, giving UMKC two-run lead.
Sims kept the rally going with a single to center, moving Kelley to third, and Pate capped the inning with an RBI single to make the score 5-2.
With enough runs to win the game, Grove shut down the South Dakota offense in the bottom of the sixth inning, but the Kangaroo offense decided a three-run lead wasn't enough, and hung a five-spot in the seventh for good measure, and the 'Roos would go on to win game one by a final of 10-2.
UMKC fired the first shot in game two with their first of four home runs in the contest, a solo shot from sophomore Kendra Leach (3-for-4) in the second inning.
South Dakota put up three runs in the third inning, off Leach who made her first-career start in the circle. The Coyotes scored one run on a wild pitch and the other two on a one-out home run to right field, making the score 3-1.
The 'Roos took one back in the fourth thanks to a bunt-single from Leach, scoring sophomore Kelsey Goodwin (2-for-4) who reached on a double down the left field line.
Kelley (6-9) relieved Leach after 3.0 innings in the circle, and gave up a three spot in the fifth inning, but helped her own cause with a leadoff home run in the top of the sixth inning to make the score 6-3.
The senior held the Coyotes scoreless in the bottom of the sixth, and a dramatic seventh inning gave the 'Roos a fighting chance to pick up their seventh-consecutive victory.
Junior Alex Gale (0-for-3) led off the inning with a walk, and head coach Meredith Smith Neal elected to bring in Sims to pinch hit after tallying four hits in game one.
The decision paid off in a major way, as Sims hit her fifth home run of the season, tying Kelley for the team lead, and bringing the 'Roos within one run, 6-5.
Parker (0-for-4) grounded out and Kelley struck out looking, to bring up Goodwin with one out remaining.
Goodwin, with a double to her name already in the ballgame, hit a game-tying home run to level the score at six and give the 'Roos more time to try to extend the streak, but after a scoreless bottom of the seventh and top of the eighth, South Dakota walked off with a double to right field to halt the UMKC win-streak.
The 'Roos are back in action on Wednesday with a doubleheader in Brookings, South Dakota against South Dakota State. First pitch of game one is slated for 1 p.m.
