Kansas City Owns the First Day of the Red Raider Invitational

Saturday, March 6

Lubbock, Texas

11:00 AM

Kansas City

8-1

Abilene Christian University

4-10

Abilene Christian

Kansas City

Kansas City Owns the First Day of the Red Raider Invitational

3/6/2021 6:29:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 Final Box- Game 1 Final Box- Game 2

The Roos look to continue their seven game win streak tomorrow

LUBBOCK, TX – Kansas City Softball (9-1) started the Red Raider Invitational sweeping their competition. The Roos will look to continue their seven-game win streak in the final day of the tournament tomorrow. They come back to face the same opponents in day two. Sunday's lineup features KC against Abilene Christian at 9:30 a.m. and Texas Tech at 11:30 a.m.

Game No. 1 v. Abilene Christian [FINAL 6-3]
The Roos are no stranger to the come from behind story this season. Abilene Christian (4-11) struck first after a leadoff double produced a run in the top of the second inning. The Roos answered back in the bottom of the frame and tied the game at 1-1 but left the bases loaded ending a potential big inning.

The Wildcats took back the lead in the fourth before Lia Lombardini did what she does best and gave the Roos an offensive a spark. With one out, Lombardini doubled to left center field to start what would end as a three-run inning. Ally Vonfeldt singled in the five-six hole of the infield to give KC two runners on base. Ashley Thorne added an RBI to tie the game and Faith Willis stepped up and drove in two more.

"It was a great team effort," Head Coach Kerry Shaw noted about game one. "We have a habit of starting off slow but second or third time through the order we make adjustments and break games open. The clutch hits today gave us breathing room."

Kansas City padded the lead in their last at-bat of the game. Ashley Thorne led off with a triple down the right field line. Faith Denning came into pinch hit and scored Thorne on a sacrifice fly. Maggie Klover also came into hit and reached on a single. Klover was moved around by Katherine Karnatz and was later scored on an infield error by the Wildcats. Those insurance runs would prove to be enough for Kansas City to hold on for a 6-3 win.

"One of the biggest differences in the games was the error differential. Mia battled through when she had an off-start and the defense had her back. She was tough when she needed to be."

Mia Hoveland recorded her fifth win of the season. She struck out seven Abilene Christian hitters and only gave up two earned runs.

Game No. 2 v. Texas Tech [FINAL 7-2]
Kansas City wanted to ensure they started with a lead against Texas Tech (7-8) in the second game of the day. The Roos loaded the bases quickly in the top of the first with no outs but couldn't capitalize on the opportunity. Kansas City came back with a vengeance in the second frame. Abby Sciara singled down the third base line to get Kansas City's offense started again. Karnatz added another single, dropping a ball in no man's land between the first baseman, second baseman, and right fielder. Then Kloe Hilbrenner put the Roos on the board with a drive up the middle.

"Kloe is an uber talented and incredible athlete," Shaw said. "She finally broke through today, going 4-for-4 at the plate. She is a competitor and has been working on her game, she was so good today."

The score remained 1-0 until the top of the fifth when Hilbrenner decided to take matters into her own hands once again. Hilbrenner battled through the at-bat and drove one over the centerfield fence for her first homerun of the season. Alexis D'Ambrosio used the energy to drive one to the wall and Lombardini followed with a hit of her own that scored another run for the Roos. Lombardini's hit forced a pitching change for the Red Raider, but Kansas City didn't mind. Vonfeldt stepped up and drove the ball way past the left field fence for a two-run homerun.

"Ally's hit was a bomb, way over the fence, it was what we needed to own the momentum in the game," Shaw said.

Great defensive plays and clutch pitching kept the Red Raiders scoreless until the bottom of the sixth inning. Texas Tech caught on and scored two in the bottom of the sixth, but big plays at the left field wall by Faith Willis kept the Red Raiders at bay.

"Texas Tech is a program that has performed very well in the past few years," Shaw said. "Cam doesn't get rattled. She was in the Missouri State finals a lot in high school and played for a high-level showcase team and that has translated well to college."

Kansas City's offense took back those two runs in the top of the seventh as Lombardini collected two more RBIs. Camryn Stickel shutdown Texas Tech in the final frame and ended the day with three strikeouts, giving up only one walk, four hits, and zero earned runs in the game.