After winning three of four games over the weekend at the Jayhawk Fall Classic, Kansas University’s softball team will conclude the exhibition season this weekend in Lincoln, Neb.
KU will play two games Saturday and two Sunday at the Big Red Fall Classic.
Last weekend at Arrocha Ballpark, the Jayhawks blanked Washburn, 7-0, and Johnson County Community College, 10-0. KU also divided with Emporia State, winning 2-1 and losing 5-3.
Freshman pitcher Christina Ross pitched a one-hitter in the victory over Washburn.
In the romp over JCCC, left-fielder Heather Stanley, second baseman Jessica Moppin and catcher Ashley Goodrich notched two hits apiece.
OKLAHOMA CITY ? Kansas University rebounded from a morning loss to Oklahoma State at the Big 12 Conference softball tournament with a 10-4 victory over Baylor on Thursday afternoon.
Fourth-seeded KU (32-26) suffered a 2-1 loss to Oklahoma State when the Jayhawks stranded seven runners on base in their tournament opener.
Scoring runs wasn’t a problem in the afternoon as KU banged out 13 hits against the sixth-seeded Bears (38-22). Five different Jayhawks had two hits apiece.
“I was glad to see our offense finally woke up in this game,” KU coach Tracy Bunge said. “We weren’t pressing at the plate like we were in the first game earlier today. We were able to put runners on base and take advantage of those opportunities.”
Baylor, which was knocked out of the double-elimination tournament, aided the Jayhawks by making four errors. The Bears also stranded nine runners.
Baylor took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first against Kansas starter Kirsten Milhoan, but KU tied it in the bottom half on Courtney Wright’s two-run double.
KU took a 4-2 lead, with help from two Baylor errors, in the fourth and tacked on two more runs in the fifth.
Baylor added single runs in the fifth and sixth innings against reliever Kara Pierce (22-11). Pierce had taken the loss against OSU despite giving up just four hits in a complete-game effort. She earned the win against Baylor with 32/3 innings of relief. She allowed three hits and two runs, one earned.
KU put the game out of reach with a four-run sixth. Christi Musser belted an RBI double in the frame, and Megan Urquhart followed with a two-run double.
The top-half of KU’s lineup was potent, combining for seven runs. Erin Garvey, Musser and Leah Tabb each contributed two hits and two runs, while Urquhart had one hit, one run and two RBIs.
Wright, the No. 5 hitter, did not score but drove in three runs on two hits. No. 6 hitter Amy Hulse added one hit and one run, and No. 7 hitter Katie Campbell had two hits.
“This season, it seemed like our offense is like night and day,” Bunge said. “When we are calm and not picky about pitches, we can produce and that’s what showed at the end of the game. When tense, we can barely score a run.”
In Thursday’s first game, fifth-seeded Oklahoma State (26-21) snapped a 1-1 tie in the sixth when Danielle Thomas led off with a bunt single, was sacrificed to second and scored on Amanda Hayes’ single up the middle.
OSU’s Jade Lindly slammed a solo homer in the third off Pierce, who was named conference freshman of the year on Wednesday.
See the 6News report on the tournament.
Musser tied it with a leadoff shot over the left-center field fence in the bottom of the fifth.
KU couldn’t take advantage of five hits two by freshman Dani May, a Lawrence High graduate three walks and two OSU errors. The Jayhawks left the bases loaded in the sixth.
The Jayhawks will face conference champion Nebraska at 11 a.m. today.
O-State 2, Kansas 1
EUrquhart, Tabb 2, Mooers 3. DPWichita State 2. LOBKansas 4, Wichita State 11. 3BWright. HROleson, Clary. SBOleson. SHLewis, Lupo, Kleckner. SFKleckner.EO’Neill, Bay. DPKansas 1. LOBOSU 3, Kansas 7. HRLindly (4), C. Musser (5). SHKipp.
T1:49. |
Kansas 10, Baylor 4
EHundley (8), Stukel (8), King (12), Borgades (3); Wright (20), Hulse (11). LOB Baylor 9, Kansas 5. 2B Borgades (4), C. Musser (11), Urquhart (12), Wright (10), Ka. Campbell (16). 3B King (2). SF Hulse (3).
WP Milhoan. T2:25. |