Kansas City Puts Together Two Solid Performances in Sunday's Split

Sunday, March 7

Lubbock, Texas

9:30 AM

Kansas City

10-1

Abilene Christian University

4-12

Kansas City

Abilene Christian

Kansas City Puts Together Two Solid Performances in Sunday's Split

3/7/2021 3:45:00 PM | Softball

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

Clutch hitting and strong pitching continues for the Roos

LUBBOCK, TX – Kansas City (10-2) split the final day of the Red Raider Invitational. The Roos continue to produce impressive pitching performances and show their resiliency when they fall behind in games. Kansas City grabbed a gritty win against Abilene Christian (4-12) and fell in a heartbreaking loss to Texas Tech (8-8). The Roos will be back in action next weekend at The Hall of Fame Tournament in Oklahoma City and will take on the University of Houston, #1 Oklahoma, and RV Liberty University.

Game No. 1 v. Abilene Christian [FINAL 4-3]
Kansas City stayed strong through a closely contested battle to the end. Abilene Christian captured the early lead with a homerun in the bottom of the first inning. Ally Vonfeldt answered right back with a solo homerun, her second of the weekend, to tie the game in the top of the second.

As Kansas City does, they found their breakout inning in the fourth. Ashley Thorne hit her second triple of the weekend to lead the inning off and Faith Willis followed with a double to score her. Katherine Karnatz reached on a fielder's choice which kept two runners on base just in time for Lia Lombardini to step to the plate. Lombardini found a gap for a double and brought home two runs for the Roos to top off the inning.

The Roos couldn't put the Wildcats away quite yet. ACU answered with a two-run homerun of their own to narrow Kansas City's lead to just one heading into the fifth.Kansas City loaded the bases in the top of the fifth but couldn't plate a run the rest of the game.

Camryn Stickel and the Roos' defense battled through runners on base nearly every inning but left seven Wildcat runners stranded in the game. The Roos held them in the final frame when it mattered and ended the game 4-3. Stickel finished with four strikeouts in her fifth win of the season.

Game No. 2 v. Texas Tech [FINAL 3-4]
The Roos stepped on to the diamond for another battle in their fourth game of the weekend. The fight lasted until the final out of the bottom of the seventh. The score was tied 3-3 and Texas Tech had the home-field advantage. With two outs and a runner on second, the Red Raiders hitter drove one up the middle. Hilbrenner scooped it up and threw a perfect shot to D'Ambrosio at home plate. The Texas Tech runner was called safe on the hook slide and that would be the heartbreaking end to the game.

Kansas City grabbed the first lead of the game in the third inning. Willis drew a walk with one out and advanced to second on a groundout by Karnatz. Hilbrenner brought Willis home with a single to left field.
Texas Tech did a good job of getting their leadoff on base, but Mia Hoveland had her way with the Red Raiders offense until the fifth inning. Texas Tech patiently battled at the plate in the bottom of the fifth until they earned a three-run homerun to grab the lead.

The Roos took the deficit as motivation and came back in the top of the sixth. Hilbrenner started with a single up the middle and stole second base one pitch later. That moved her into scoring position for D'Ambrosio who drove one up the middle to score Hilbrenner. Later in the inning, Vonfeldt tied up the game with a double down the leftfield line to score D'Ambrosio.

The game remained tied at 3-3 until the walk-off hit by the Red Raiders. Hoveland put on another great performance on the mound. She finished with nine strikeouts and only gave up one walk and one earned run in the loss.