Kansas City Enforces Run Rule in First Round Summit League Championship Victory

Wednesday, May 12

Fargo, N.D.

3:00 PM

Kansas City

28-24

University of South Dakota

13-38

South Dakota

Kansas City

Kansas City Enforces Run Rule in First Round Summit League Championship Victory

5/12/2021 6:29:00 PM | Softball

Box Score Final Box

McQuinn earns three hits, three RBIs, and blasts her first career homerun

Fargo, N.D. – Kansas City (28-24) used thirteen hits against the University of South Dakota (13-38) to prevail victorious in a run-rule six inning game. Sydney McQuinn walked off the game with a hit to the fence with bases loaded to bring in the final run needed to send the Roos to the second round.

"McQuinn had four huge hits for us today and squared up the ball strong in every at-bat," Head Coach Kerry Shaw said about his sophomore second baseman.

Kansas City's offense showed up in Fargo ready to back up their pitcher Mia Hoveland. Delainey Fenoglio erased the goose eggs on the scoreboard in the second inning with a line drive three-run homerun that brought in Faith Willis and Lia Lombardini. The next inning Willis started a two-out rally with a walk, Lombardini followed with her second hit of the game, and McQuinn brought them in with a liner off the shortstop's glove to give KC the 5-0 lead.

"The run support for Mia was big," Shaw said. "I am sure it was refreshing for her and it definitely was for us as a coaching staff."

South Dakota answered back in the top of the fourth with a string of hits that plated two runs. The score remained in the Roos favor 5-2 until McQuinn blasted her first collegiate career homerun. She stole back the two runs from the Coyotes with her two-run homer that brought in Maggie Klover who had come into pinch run for Fenoglio.

From there, the Roos rode the momentum and continued to produce huge hits. Ally Vonfeldt extended Kansas City's lead with another two-run homerun in the sixth inning, her 13^th of the season. And then the walk-off hit was aligned after Willis reached on her second hit of the day, Lombardini walked, and Abby Sciara got a hit to load the bases. McQuinn stepped up and had what would have been a three RBI double or triple, but there was no need because the mercy rule came into play.

"The biggest turning point of the game is when we stranded the Coyotes' offensive threat with runners in scoring position multiple times to keep our three-run cushion," Shaw said.

The Kansas City defense and pitching were at the forefront of the pivotal moments in the lopsided finish, getting out of the third, fourth and sixth innings with runners in scoring position. Hoveland finished with five strikeouts in her 14^th win of the season.

The Roos will return to Tharaldson Park in Fargo, North Dakota tomorrow, Thursday, May 13 at noon to face the top-seeded South Dakota State Jackrabbits (38-5, 21-1). For the full bracket and everything regarding The Summit League Softball Championships Presented by U.S. Air Force Special Warfare, visit the official championship website here.