Kansas City
12-21, 0
South Dakota
16-19, 0
Kansas City Splits a Pair of Pitcher's Duels with South Dakota
3/29/2024 4:47:00 PM | Softball
A Lexy Smith home run gave KC its only runs of the day in a second game win
KANSAS CITY - The wind was strong and so was the pitching at Urban Youth Academy this afternoon as Kansas City Softball (13-21, 2-3 Summit) split a doubleheader with South Dakota (16-30, 1-3 Summit) in conference action. Both teams fought through wind gusts of up to 30 mph, creating a pair of pitcher's duels with just four combined runs across the two games.
Camryn Stickel threw a gem in the first game of the day, going the distance and striking out five batters, allowing just one unearned run. South Dakota's Clara Edwards was just a hair better, tossing a two-hit complete game and leading the Coyotes to a 1-0 win in game one.
Katie Noble earned her fifth win of the season in the second game, going the distance and allowing just one earned run. Lexy Smith gave the KC bats some life, smashing a two-run home run in the sixth inning to give the Roos a 2-1 win.
KEY MOMENTS | GAME ONE | HIGHLIGHTS
- Bottom 1 / 0-0 | Smith got KC started with a two-out single and Briona Woods walked on the next at bat to put a runner in scoring position, but the Roos could not make anything happen and left the inning scoreless.
- Top 4 / 0-0 | Stickel continued her dominant start, going 1-2-3 in the top of the fourth. After forcing a foul-out to begin the inning, she went for back-to-back swinging strikeouts to close the frame out.
- Bottom 7 / 0-1 | South Dakota brought a run around to score in the top of the seventh, and the Roos were unable to answer, going three up, three down in the bottom of the inning and giving the Coyotes the series-opening win.
KEY MOMENTS | GAME TWO | HIGHLIGHTS
- Top 1 / 0-0 | The Coyotes were able to load the bases with just one out, but a heads up play by Elleana Navarro at second base caused a force out at home, giving KC a second out. The next batter popped up to Sydney Nichols at short stop, getting the Roos out of an early jam.
- Top 5 / 1-0 | Noble allowed a run in the fourth inning and was in another jam in the fifth with runners on the corners with just one out. Another sharp play, this time on a grounder to Nichols, gave KC the second out at home plate and a grounder to third ended the inning.
- Bottom 6 / 2-1 | Kadin Vire got things started for the Roos with a one-out single, bringing Smith to the plate. Smith turned on a pitch low and in, cranking it past the left field wall and giving KC the lead.
- Top 7 / 2-1 | The first two batters of the inning reached base for the Coyotes, putting the Roos in yet another tough position. However, back-to-back outs at third base alleviated some pressure and Noble ended the game with a strikeout.
STATS TO NOTE
- Smith has maintained her form since returning to the lineup, going 4-of-6 today and posting multiple hits in each of the past three games. Her home run today was her team-leading fourth of the season, the most by a Kansas City player in the past two seasons.
- The Roos' pitching staff allowed just one earned run across the two games today, the team's second-best two-game mark of the year. The only better stretch was a pair of games with zero earned runs against Western Illinois and SIUE on March 13 & 14.
- Stickel threw seven innings of one-run ball, allowing just three hits and no earned runs. She has now gone for seven-plus innings seven times this season, allowing two-or-fewer earned runs in five of those games.
- Noble earned her fifth win of the season, bringing her to a 5-4 record in the circle this season. She notched a pair of strikeouts, logging at least one K in each of her past seven appearances.
UP NEXT
The Roos and Coyotes will play in a rubber match tomorrow morning, with first pitch set for 11 a.m.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Clara Edwards (6-9)
L: Stickel, Camryn (6-10)
Batting:
3B: Alecea Mendoza 1
RBI: Alexia Terrazas 1
SH: Clara Edwards 1 ; Alexia Terrazas 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Brylee Hempey 1
