Jon GoeringThere’s a practice routine within the Kansas University softball program that sends one player per practice to the plate to see if she can deliver in a pressure situation.
It’s called “Big Jay,” and it gets the players fired up every time.
“Oh yeah, when we hear Big Jay, we’re like, ‘Yeah,'” freshman shortstop Mariah Montgomery said. “The picture of the person who’s up that day is on the practice schedule, and we go up to them and just say, ‘Get your mind right.'”
Sunday, during two losses to Texas Tech — a 4-2 setback in a continued contest that was postponed because of bad weather Saturday and a 4-1 loss in the regularly scheduled game — the Jayhawks were more Baby Jay than Big Jay.
Despite pounding out 13 hits in the two games, very few of them came in clutch situations and because of it, the Jayhawks rarely threatened the Red Raiders.
Jon Goering“We know we had it in our hands,” Montgomery said. “We just needed that hit to get the runners across, and we didn’t get it.”
The losses dropped the Jayhawks to 18-29 overall and 1-13 in Big 12 play.
The losses are starting to deflate the KU dugout.
“I think (we’re) frustrated,” Montgomery said. “I wouldn’t say we’re down on ourselves, but I know we’re going to get out of it. You can’t ever give up on yourself.”
That’s one thing the Jayhawks rarely have done. Despite trailing 4-0 after 32/3 innings Saturday, KU scored the only two runs of the continued contest Sunday, one on a home run from Montgomery and the other on a sacrifice fly from Rosie Hull.
Jon GoeringThen, after taking a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first of Game Two, when Hull (3-for-4) scored on a throwing error that followed a single by Montgomery, KU fell behind 4-1, but sent the tying run to the plate in the fifth and seventh innings.
In the fifth, the Jayhawks had the bases loaded with one out, but catcher Brittany Hile grounded into a fielder’s choice for out No. 2, and Marissa Ingle struck out to end the threat. Both Hile and Ingle have shown a propensity to swing a big bat for the Jayhawks this season. But neither could deliver in that so-called “Big Jay” situation Sunday.
“It’s personal,” said Montgomery, whose Game One home run was her third in the past four games. “You just have to know if you’re seeing the ball and believe in yourself. We’re right there. We could’ve won most of our conference games that we’ve played so far.”
The Jayhawks step out of conference play at 5 p.m. Wednesday when they play host to a doubleheader against Wichita State.
“I feel like it’ll be good to go out and not have the pressure of conference play on us,” senior Sarah Vertelka said. “We can just go out and play to win.”
Jon Goering
