Carbondale, Ill. ? Allie Clark drove in two runs and limited Western Illinois to just one hit from the pitcher’s circle as Kansas University’s softball team blanked Western Illinois, 3-0, Sunday in the Coach B Classic.
Later Sunday, Clark and teammate Brittany Hile each homered, but the Jayhawks suffered a 5-2 loss to SIU-Edwardsville.
Kansas moved to 9-10 overall and 2-2 in the tournament.
“We played very well this weekend up until this last game,” KU coach Megan Smith said. “We just were not as sharp against SIUE. But we did get good performances from our pitching staff this weekend. We felt like they really made the most of their opportunities.”
In Sunday’s first game, Kansas put at least one runner on base in every inning but the second as it collected seven hits from just four players.
Rosie Hull scored two of the Jayhawks’ three runs and went 2-for-3 at the plate.
She scored the Jayhawks’ first run in the bottom of the first inning on a single from Clark. On the next play, Hile hit an RBI single up the middle to plate senior Sara Ramirez, who reached on grounder toward first base.
Ramirez was perfect from the plate collecting a hit in all three of her at bats, including a double in the fifth.
Clark batted in her second run in the third inning with a sacrifice fly ball to shallow right field. On the catch, Hull tagged up at third and escaped the tag at home plate with a wide hook slide.
Clark walked one batter and struck out four as she improved to 3-1. It also marked the second time this season the Jayhawks have limited their opponent to just one hit.
In the second game, Hile hit a solo shot in the fourth, and Clark hit a two-run homer — her fourth home run of the season and 15th of her career — in the sixth.
Kansas opens its home season Thursday in the KU Invitational.