KU softball wins UNCG Spartan Classic

By J-W Staff Reports     Feb 28, 2011

? Kansas University freshman Kristin Martinez threw a complete-game two-hitter, and the Jayhawks won their third tournament title in three weeks with a 1-0 victory over Minnesota in the championship game of the UNCG Spartan Classic on Sunday.

The outcome avenged KU’s loss to the Golden Gophers on Friday on the tournament’s first day.

The Jayhawks improved to 4-1 at the tourney and 14-1 overall.

Minnesota fell to 7-7 overall.

“Kristin Martinez has to be heralded for her performance today,” KU coach Megan Smith said. “They couldn’t touch her. She took command of the game and kept command and we are really proud of her.”

Martinez (6-0) allowed just six runners and struck out five. She walked just one.

Kansas scored the game’s only run on an RBI double from Marissa Ingle in the seventh.

Freshman Ashley Newman beat out a throw to first to safely reach base for KU’s fifth hit. Ingle then stepped to the plate and roped a double down the left-field line as Newman scored all the way from first.

The Golden Gophers’ Sara Moulton fanned nine Jayhawks during the pitcher’s duel but gave up seven hits, including two to senior Brittany Hile.

The Jayhawks will travel March 4-6 to Las Vegas for the UNLV Eller Media Stadium Classic.

KU softball wins Stetson Hatter Invitational

By J-W Staff Reports     Feb 21, 2011

? Kansas University’s softball team is 10-0 and 2-for-2.

The Jayhawks routed Stetson, 8-0, in six innings in the championship of the Stetson Hatter Invitational championship game on Sunday to claim their second tournament title in two weeks.

KU (10-0) hit three home runs in blanking Stetson (3-5).

Sophomore Alex Jones pitched all six innings for the Jayhawks to pick up her first win of the season. Jones struck out a career-high eight batters and also went 2-for-4 from the plate.

Nine Jayhawks combined for 12 hits, including home runs from senior Brittany Hile, junior Liz Kocon and sophomore Mariah Montgomery. Kocon and sophomore Maggie Hull joined Jones with multiple hits, as each had two.

Hile got the offense started when she hit her fourth home run of the weekend in the bottom of the third. Later in the inning, Montgomery also homered, her fourth of the season, to plate sophomore Rosie Hull and give KU a 3-0 lead.

Maggie Hull added a run in the next frame. She singled to the first baseman and beat the flip to the bag. Freshman Ashley Newman scooted her over a bag with a sacrifice bunt, and junior Marissa Ingle advanced Hull to third base with her single to shallow right field. Eventually, Maggie Hull slid home after a wild pitch, expanding the Jayhawks’ lead to 4-0 after four innings.

Kocon moved into a tie for sixth on the Kansas career home runs list when she hit her 18th career homer in the fifth inning, a one-out, solo shot to right field.

Kocon and freshman Kendra Cullum then helped end the game after six innings due to run-rule when the pair drove in three runs in the final frame to set the margin. Kocon’s single through the right side plated Rosie Hull and Jones, while Cullum’s single over the shortstop’s head drove home Montgomery.

Kansas will play in the UNCG Spartan Classic Friday-Sunday in Greensboro, N.C.

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